Danse Macabre Undone: The Road
by Gatecrasher12
Summary: When an beaten enemy rises, the world's exisitance fades, but victory may not be in the future, but in the past. The hands of time are turned back to when the dream was real and the lovers of 1000 words lived.
1. Land of The End

**Title**: Danse Macabre Undone

**Author**: Gatecrasher12

**Word Count**: 2222

**Genre**: Action/Romance/Drama/General

**Game**: Final Fantasy 10-2

**Published Date**: 01/10/10

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything save the plot and name of this fiction. All characters, objects, and places pertaining to anything under the name/ title of the Final Fantasy series are copy righted property of SquarEnix and all branch groups associated.

**Author's Note**: Hello everyone! Welcome. Well this fic is a bit different, not new, just different, from my usual writing habits; I don't often write non-crossovers, but low-and-behold a fic written by me that doesn't involve a different game or anime. Now I don't expect much in the way of reviews, let alone hits, since this isn't a Final Fantasy VII (it's the most popular of the FF Series). I'm just writing this for the sake of writing. Though I must give credit where it is due. Not long ago I just so happened upon an interesting yet unfinished fic written by PodSara called _The Things We Do For Love_ when I was in the mood to read a fic about the rarely touched characters Lenne and Shuyin and was inspired. My muse hasn't gone away since then. Though the plot was a tad rushed, it was honestly good, and there was great character development, especially for Shuyin and Lenne. I recommend giving it a gander. Now, on that note, please enjoy my fic and tell me what you think about it.

* * *

Chapter One: The Land of The End

* * *

The Farplane. The gathering place where those of the dead reside after life to rest. To most living who would occasionally visit, it would be considered an eerie haunting for souls while to others it appeared a haven of immense beauty and peace where the silence was mercifully broken by the continued sound of crashing and rushing of ever-flowing water from the countless massive waterfalls. Many floating ethereal basins of land dotted the whole of the plane as far as the eye could see and beyond, connected by slim bridges of rock; the larger land masses were carpeted by light clouds of mist and innumerable strange flowers unknown to life in every color imaginable. The sky was a perpetual, yet ever changing symphony of aurora. Pyreflies of an incalculable number floated aimlessly along at a lazy pace, creating delicate, audible sounds as they went.

'_**But for all the Farplane's splendor, I sense a taint somewhere in the land.**_' The figure of a small boy with dark skin thought darkly. He was clad in simplistic yet ragged royal blue-violet hooded vest and worn dark pants with gold ornaments hanging off red and blue ropes around his waist and brown sandals stood at the edge of one of many cliffs of the Farplane, looking out at the large blue sphere hovering above the endless abyss at the centermost point of the land.

"_**So this is where you've been.**_" a cool feminine voice of great power and dignity spoke. "_**Everyone was wondering where you went.**_" A woman with long dark hair and grey eyes wearing the blue and white garb of a priestess from Macalania temple stepped out of the surrounding mist to join the seemingly young boy.

He gave no words of acknowledgement to his new companion, merely giving a slight incline of his hooded head.

When the priestess received nothing but a long, overwrought silence, her icy grey orbs looked down at the dragon-child. While the upper half of the boy's face was shrouded in the shadow of his hood, she could see his mouth was pulled taunt in a downward curl of a frown, not something that happened often. And now that she thought about it, she could feel the dragon's oppressive aura saturating the air around him. "_**… What troubles you so, Bahamut?**_" she asked, taking a tentative step away.

"_**Lady Shiva? Look,**_" the fayth of Bahamut said, his voice held the beginnings of a dangerous curb to it as he pointed across the land. "_**at the Core, does it appear as if it has been disturbed to you? … Different… in some way? And the land in the distance, it looks as if some of it has begun to… change, almost like some of it eroded away.**_"

"_**What?!**_" Shiva allowed her eyes to follow Bahamut's aim, not seeing anything after a moment of intense scrutiny. "_**Are you certain?**_" she asked, unsure.

The Core Sphere, an object of great power, age, and mystery, was considered the pillar that was responsible for upholding very existence of the Farplane and Spira's structural integrity had appeared to have shrank in size. It was hardly noticeable at any number of glances, considering its extreme size, but for one with such keen eyes for detail as Bahamut's, it was noticeable.

"_**I am… not too sure, but at the moment, nothing seems out of place with the Core. But I am left with… great unease.**_"

Shiva silently scoffed at that. While Bahamut may not have started out his life a dragon, he certainly picked up the very draconic-like tendencies of being fiercely possessive and protective.

"_**Shall we inform the others then?**_"

Bahamut crossed his arms. "_**Not yet. I want to make sure everything is fine first. The Eternal Calm and our rest has only just started a year and a half ago. If my suspicions are fruitful, I won't be caught unaware easily, but I do not want to appear paranoid and cause unnecessary strife over nothing.**_" He said, giving one last suspicious sweep of the area before walking away with Shiva.

Something in the air felt wrong to the little fayth even as he said those words, and though he was supposed to be at rest like the rest of his brethrens, he would never shirk his duties as a protector of Spira. He had given up his childhood and life over thirteen-hundred years ago for the honor of becoming a fayth after all. He wasn't about to stop now.

The two fayth never saw the pair of eyes watching them from above.

* * *

High Summoner Lady Yunalesca, first and only daughter of Yu Yevon, the once ruler of the machina metropolis and the now sacred ruin city called Zanarkand, and keeper of the Final Aeon, stood atop one of the higher floating islands of the Farplane in all her glory, watching the two fayth leave.

"Wretched boy," she sneered "he's too observant for his own good."

"Worry not My Lady, all will fall into place in due time."

Yunalesca frowned, flicking a wayward lock of silver hair over her shoulder before turning to look at her companion. "It had better, you promised to help search for my father and husband's souls, Guado."

A smile, so handsome it would have many women melt with the desire to have it pointed in their direction, was all one Seymour Guado offered to the late Yunalesca. "I assure you, my plan will work. It would take some time, but the rewards will be well worth the wait."

"That boy is taking far too long." Yunalesca sneered.

Seymour chuckled indulgingly. "My dear Lady, when he is ready, Shuyin will provide a suitable distraction for the fayth, giving us the needed time necessary to draw more energy from the Core without notice. He is our unwitting accomplice after all."

Yunalesca gave Seymour a long look before saying, "Tell me, why do you desire the Sin armor so? You have yet to say."

"Haven't I?" Seymour asked with flourish. "I may be among to dead now, but my dream to give Spira true peace hasn't died."

"True peace?"

The Guado-Human hybrid nodded. "Lord Yu Yevon's SIN is gone, and yet the people still live in anarchy. How is this so, you may ask? Are they not enjoying an 'Eternal Calm', you may also ask? The answer is simple; there is no such thing as an 'Eternal Calm'." Seymour answered his own questions. "Shuyin and you yourself have helped me see this fact. One thousand years ago, before SIN ever existed, the people of Spira made war with themselves, fighting and destroying each other over petty differences and greed, the fall of Zanarkand was one result of war."

So far Yunalesca nodded slowly to all this, grudgingly finding truth in his words.

"But then SIN was created and all war between the people ceased. SIN's creation may have ushered in a millennia of hardship and dispair, but in its own way it united the people in a manner never before done, there was order and stability, people had hope for the future, hands of friendship and aid were always offered to each other and never turned away. But now, with SIN gone now, they are already rekindling and stroking the fires of war amongst themselves. The same war that destroyed Zanarkand, your ruined home a thousand years ago."

"How would you know all this? You are in the Farplane…"

"I am also part Guado, and Guado are very close to the inhabitance of these lands and the living lands." he explained. "While they have become very few, I still have loyal servants in life who speak to me."

Yunalesca's eyes narrowed. "… You would use SIN, how?"

"By granting the world peace, peace found only here in the Farplane of course."

"Peace by death, you mean. Very interesting, I too have sought to save people from themselves in such a manner."

Seymour smirked in triumph and said, "Then you understand me?"

The silver haired woman nodded. "I do, and I shall grant you the knowledge necessary to achieve you dream, but in return-"

"Of course, my Lady High Summoner. I know, in fact, I have just recently found the whereabouts of your husband-" Seymour cut her off only to be cut off himself.

"Where, where is Zaon?!"

The felled Guado eyed the woman who's gaze shined with the light of maddened desperation. "Lord Zaon's soul is unsent and resides deep within the Via Infinito under Bevelle, in which Cloister, I am uncertain. I have yet to find Lord Yevon, but I shall continue the search."

The thousand year old dead woman looked away as she took a moment to let the information sink in. "Then I will make my way there. Even this cage that is the Farplane will not hold me back from reaching him."

Seymour's lips twisted with dark delight. When blue haired half-Guado had heard that the fool, Kinoc, had opened the Den of Woe, and freed the enraged, crazed spirit of Shuyin before he released him from life, the dead Guado Measter had also found out about the great machina weapon called Vegnagun. He had vaguely considered taking the weapon for himself, but didn't know where it was, let alone how to operate it, so he left it for a later date.

But then, soon after, he had been killed and then later sent.

But even so, he had never given up his desire for the power SIN represented. He had met Yunalesca in the Farplane only a month after his fourth battle against Summoner Yuna and her dream Guardian. He had been quick to "befriend" the first High Summoner. It had been only a matter of getting Yunalesca to give up her knowledge on how to create the SIN armor. All it took was a single promise of helping the lonely woman regain he father and husband's souls in exchange. Whet she never realized was that there little to nothing left of Yu Yevon's soul and that Lord Zaon's, along with several others, were trapped in the secret labyrinth under Bevelle, Via Infinito, a place where she would soon join shortly after he was done. Now all he needed was an energy source that would power his future armor indefinitely. A power only found at the very center of the Farplane.

Seymour's face immediately went back to its neutral appearance as Yunalesca looked back at him. "Are you certain of Zaon's location?" she demanded.

Seymour nodded. " Several of my followers, both living and unsent, within the capital have occasionally seen his spirit wander around Bevelle Underground from time to time so he may still be there."

"Then I will part with you all I know of creating the SIN armor, then journey to the land of the living." She stepped away and ordered, "Continue gathering energy, but be warned, take only what you need and nothing more, else both realms crumble. When the time comes, I shall use my power to turn you into a fayth and summon the new SIN. Do you understand?"

Seymour gave her the Prier bow with flourish. "As you say, Lay High Summoner." As Yunalesca's form burst into a flurry of Pyreflies and left she did not hear Seymour speak again, "Let my reign as the new SIN begin and peace of oblivion be to _all lands." his eyes traveled to the Core and began preparing to drain the ball of energy again. Soon, all the power he could ever want would be within his grasp, and that foolish woman, Yunalesca, would play her role originally meant for Yuna in helping him achieve his dream and end all life in Spira. The Farplane's existence will also collapse on itself soon enough, and all the world's suffering will end by his will. _


	2. When The Dream Ends

**Title**: Danse Macabre Undone

**Author** : Gatecrasher12

**Word Count **: 2244

**Genre **: Action/Romance/Drama/General

**Game** : Final Fantasy 10-2

**Published Date **: 01-12-10

**Author's Note** : Welcome to the second chapter of my fic! I haven't much to say but I will say this, I know how the game went, but I'm working off the "Good Ending" of Final Fantasy 10-2 so it'll be both an AU and a TT (Time Travel) fic. Also, be warned, this chapter contains a **LOT** of fluff. Now without further a due… enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Two: When The Dream Ends, All That Is Left Are Memories

* * *

"_It's me again. I've been a bit neglectful in not recording my thoughts recently, haven't I? Sorry about that. I meant to record something sooner, but with everything that had been happening lately, I didn't have a lot of time._

_I've got some good news, the Gullwings have finally solved the riddle that was Vegnagun and, thankfully, it's gone now._

_Remember Lenne and Shuyin, I mentioned them before, well, we managed to lay them to rest. It was kind of sad to see such a tragic couple go, but I'm happy that they're finally at peace together after so long apart. Shuyin wasn't as bad as we all thought he was; he was just sad, angry and alone. _

_They… almost remind me of us in a way. Really, they do. Only, our love story never got its happy ending, did it?_

_Anyway, it's been about a month since then and the Eternal Calm is still holding strong. New Yevon and the Youth League are finally settling in with each other peacefully, Praetor Baralai and Myvn Nooj are working hard to make sure of that, and the Gippal's Machine Faction are taking on a more 'hands on' approach in Spiran politics._"

"Awww! Aren't you the cutest little thing? Yes you are!" Rikku fawned loudly over a giggling baby Vidina seated in Lulu's lap.

Yuna looked up from the Recorder Sphere in her hands as she sat near the hut that was her home whenever she came back to her village. She had always put some distance between her and everyone else when she wanted a bit of privacy to recorded her thoughts. It was more like her private diary than the impersonal traveling journal she had originally intended it to be.

It had been nearly a week since the disbanded Gullwings landed on Besaid Island to visit for a reunion and three month since Shuyin's defeat/ Vegnagun's dismantlement.

"_For a while, the Gullwings seemed to have drifted apart somewhat after the fight against Shuyin. But don't worry about us. After Paine set up our 'Last Mission' together at Yadonoki Tower, we've managed to keep in better touch with each other. _

_Rikku is still occasionally doing her odd jobs, going on one mission after another… I think she'd made a business out of it. Buddy and Brother seem to be in on it too since the Celsius is still flying all over the world. And guess what? She and Gippal have finally gotten together. Isn't it wonderful?_

_Paine hasn't settled down in any particular place yet. She's still wanders around Spira, but between you and me, I think Paine may have a thing for Baralai. She does visit Bevelle more than anywhere else._

_Shinra has also been doing a lot with his time. Apparently word got out about his CommSpheres and now a lot of people in the major cities want them. He's been working on a new version. He calls them PHSpheres. That stands for __**P**__ersonal__**H**__andheld__**Sphere**__. He gave me and the rest of the Gullwings some prototypes we can use. They're really great!_

_As for me, well I've stayed put in Besaid for a while now. But I haven't really remained still like before. Sometimes I get so restless that I occasionally get up and go around, mostly between Besaid, Kilika, and Luca. …Maybe, I think, I'm waiting for something to happen. I hope it's just me, but I get the feeling something will happen soon. Everything's gotten so peaceful, I hope whatever does happen is good. I want the Eternal Calm to lasts as long as possible._"

It was around sunset, the sun was falling over the far side of Besaid, staining the tropical sky a beautiful, vibrant display of pink, orange and yellow, and the whole Gullwing crew were not too far from the village square as the little rural community was finishing its nightly preparations for dinner. Wakka stood not too far from his wife and son, listening to Rikku coo over the infant with a proud smile as he started lighting the torches around the village, while Paine talked with Lulu. Buddy, Brother, Shinra, and Barkeep had come down from the Celsius for dinner; Buddy was helping the men of the village set up the bonfire as the cooks prepared the food with Barkeep, Brother had been with Rikku earlier trying to get Vidina to laugh, but ended up making the babe cry instead so now he was sulking on the opposite side of the bonfire wood, and Shinra was busy checking his Besaid CommSphere, upgrading it for better sound quality.

Rikku laughed along with Vidina as she tickled the baby's tummy. "You're just too adorable to be Wakka's kid."

"Hey, what's that supposed mean?!" the carrot-top Blitzer questioned.

Rikku gave her older friend an innocent look. "Nothing, Daddy! Just saying little 'Dina here gets his good looks from Mommy!"

Wakka wasn't quite sure if she was teasing him or praising Lulu, so he only gave her a suspicious look and said, "Of course he's good lookin', ya? Got a bit o' me and Lu in 'em." Wakka crossed his large arms in a huff when Rikku laughed. Lulu and Paine were also smirking at Wakka.

Yuna smiled as she watched her friends, ex-Guardians, and family creating and sharing a happy moment in time. But, deep inside, Yuna felt her heart clench. She had seen several scenes like this before, and each one had that special man whom she loved dearly in them. Yuna looked back down at her Recorder Sphere with a sad look.

"_It hurts to remember you. To remember all we did together and not have you by my side._

_But I'll continue my search for you a little while longer. So long as I still have Rikku and Paine and all the others helping me, rooting me on, I know I can keep moving forward. I'll find you, wherever you are._"

With those last few sentences, Yuna switched off her sphere and placed it in her travel pack on her hip.

"Hey Yunie!" Rikku called, waving an arm wildly. "Get over here and come play with me and Vidina already! The little ankle bitter wants his Godmommy!"

"Rikku, stop flinging you arm everywhere!" Paine snipped. Rikku whined at the cold reprimand.

Yuna laughed as she stood, dusting her half skirt as she made her way over to the others, a smile lighting up her face. "I'm coming! I want to hold the baby!" Today was the last day for the Gullwings on Besaid, and Yuna planned for it to be as peaceful as possible, because tomorrow, whether she realized it or not, a new journey would begin.

* * *

She could feel him. His Pyreflies swarmed all around her. Yunalesca smiled in happiness she had not experienced in a thousand years as her husband's Pyreflies caressed her battered body all around with their phantom's touch, soothing the ache of defeat handed to her not long ago by that girl, Summoner Yuna, and her friends.

When the first High Summoner and the last High Summoner had crossed paths for the second time within the Via Infinito, they met each other with great and open hostility. To the older woman, Summoner Yuna had truly become a heathen and a delinquent. Completely casting off the word of Yevon and forsaking the teachings established a millennia before in her father's name. It was because of that girl did Yunalesca lose her purpose.

While she wandered through the Farplane for a time, searching the near infinite land of the dead for those she loved and not finding them, meeting Seymour Guado in the processes, she had managed to force her way back into the living world through the gate in the empty city of Guadosalam, ultimately causing it to become violently instable. She made it though the Thunder Planes in as little as three days, noting the Al Bhed were working on recalibrating and repairing the lightning towers, and a day and a half through Macalania Woods, vaguely caring about the obvious degradation to the once breathtaking and mysterious forest, the cause she knew stemmed from both the absence of the fayth of Aeon Shiva and the siphoning of the Core Sphere energy. She had made it to the temple of St. Bevelle in a little under a week, never stopping nor resting because she had no need to.

Yunalesca immediately began her search the underground labyrinth for her astray husband.

Two months into her exploration, she had come across and dispatched many fiends and met several other spirits, a fool of a man named Wen Kinoc, and anguished Jyscal Guado, and a most recently met cowardly Yo Mika, left unsent and wandering the catacombs. It was on the eightieth floor did she meet with Yuna and her companions and fought. Yunalesca had lost most of herself to her negative emotions and urge to kill the three wenches that stood before her, and so the former Summoner has become a fiend, a Basilisk named Chac.

Yunalesca lost the battle, Yuna had scattered her Pyreflies, but she had not let herself be denied her one remaining longing. With what little strength she had left, Yunalesca resummoned her Pyreflies, resisting the greater call of the Farplane, and laboriously made her way further down the remaining cloisters. By the time she made it to the hundredth and last cloister, her body was ready to give in and return to the Farplane. The room was empty save for a hoard of floating Pyreflies and mostly looked no different than any of the higher rooms above with the exception that the room's floor was covered with mounds of broken shards of different colored spheres.

The silver haired woman, in a fit of sorrow and heartache, let out a broken wail as she fell. She laid in the center of the room, sobbing, tears that had been left over one thousand years unshed rushed forth as the single-minded stubbornness that drove her finally gave out. Yunalesca began to let herself go.

It was in that moment half of the roaming Pyreflies began to accumulate and swirl around her, responding to her presence.

Yunalesca's tear ridden eyes snapped open as she gasped at the presence she had not felt and longed for in many years. Seconds later, he appeared in a flash of light. Kneeling in front of her was the one man she would sacrifice everything for, Zaon. His battle armor was chipped and cracked, his helmet was missing, allowing longish brown hair to fall around his shoulders, his robes and cape were torn, and he was sporting a few bruises and bleeding cuts, she herself was hardly any different, but it mattered not to her. He was still as handsome as the day they met.

"… Zeon," She murmured as she reached for him.

The long unsent man took her hand and pulled her into his arms, hugging her close against his plated chest. "Yunalesca… my wife… how I have longed to see you again." his baritone voice was like a soothing breeze as it washed over her.

" Oh, Zeon, I've missed you."

"And so have I. …Come, dear wife. Let us fade together, as we should have all those centuries ago." he said as picked her up bridal style and stood.

Yunalesca's pale skin took on a pink flush as she looped her arms around Zeon's neck. Only he had the ability to fluster he so easily. "Yes," she answered without hesitation. The thought of her still missing father's spirit had been overshadowed by the both the exhaustion in her body and the jubilance in her heart. As their Pyreflies began to disperse, one thought did, however, cross her mind. "A moment! I need but a moment longer."

Zeon gave his wife a questioning look as she held her arm out. With great concentration, Yunalesca preformed an art she had not done in many, many years. Zeon noticed the summoning circle flash briefly before it disappeared.

"A reward, for someone who helped me in my search for you." She explained when she saw his inquisitive stare. She then nestled into his chest. "Let us depart this plane now. My journey has left me so drained."

Zeon nodded. "… then let us take our leave." The two lovers glowed brightly before dimming as Pyreflies diffused from their silhouettes.

And so the last two remaining citizens of the fallen city of Zanarkand left Spira after one thousand long years, leaving behind the precursor that would usher in a new era. An epoch of ruin thought left behind. The second coming of SIN

* * *

"The time has come…" Seymour Guado looked up, a smirk adorning his face as Pyreflies and dark mist began to envelope him. "Let my reign a**s** **th**e n**ew SIN**… **begin!"**


	3. Day of SIN pt1

Title**: Danse Macabre Undone**

**Author**: Gatecrasher12

**Word Count**: 3149

**Genre**: Action/Romance/Drama/General

**Game**: Final Fantasy 10-2

**Published Date**: 01/28/10

**Author's Note**: I don't have much to say really. In this chapter I've described the fayth in their human appearance, so if anyone needs help in visualization how the fayth look, just go find their picture on photobucket or flickr

* * *

Chapter Three: Day of SIN

* * *

"_**This… can not be.**_" the fayth of Aeon Bahamut spoke, around him the remaining nine fayth of the Aeons and the fayth of Zanarkand gasped and cried out in shock and horror at the sight before them. Their world, The Farplane, was crumbling under their very feet. Many of the Pyreflies were soaring towards the Core Sphere, which had lost almost half of its original size and was continuing to shrink, even now, little by little.

Bahamut had already sent out Anima and Yojimbo to scout the area around the Core Sphere when he noticed its sudden shift in size and shape as well as the unexpected change in the Pyreflies' behavior. However, between the time he had sent them out and now, the entirety of the Farplane had begun to tear itself apart.

"_**What the fuck is going on?!**_" shouted the most fiery and quick tempered of the Aeon fayth, Ifrit. Once a proud warrior of Kilika Island with the appearance of a young man in his mid-twenties with layered sandy blond hair and flame tattooed tanned skin, wearing only a pair of tattered red and orange shorts with a yellow sash, brown sandals, decorative gold wristbands with red tassels, and a necklace of brown and gold prayer beads, also with red tassels. Ifrit turned his amber eyes, his left eye sporting a slashed scar running down it but not hampering its sight, down to the leader of the Aeons. "_**Well, oh 'fearless Dragon King'? Why the hell is the Farplane coming apart like a dropped vase?!**_"

"_**Hey, qui' antag'nizin' Bahamut, ya overgrown mutant mutt from hell!**_" shouted as girl, he drawl announcing her Besaidian origin, who appeared somewhere in her mid-late teens with shoulder length red-brown hair and pale yellow eyes. She wore a black, sleeveless shirt with sharp yellow designs that left her belly exposed and a loosely hanging red-pink and blue island skirt and matching bandana. She wore no shoes, only gold anklets, bangles, and a hoop link chain around her waist. "_**Ya can' really 'xpect him to kno' what' 'appen'n, ya? Stupid dog!**_"

Ifrit snapped around to yell at the younger fayth, fire burning around him, "_**What was that?! You're one to talk about mutants, you pint-sized, Bird-brained-**_"

"_**ENOUGH!**_" thundered another voice loudly as a bolt of lighting struck the ground between the two island native fayth, making them jump away. Physically this fayth was the largest and oldest of them all; his body was hard built like a man in his mid-late thirties yet the age lines on his face, white hair, and trimmed goatee spoke of someone older. "_**Both of you shame yourselves and your fellows! We stand in the face of crisis, this is no time for yet another of your petty squabbles!**_" he admonished harshly.

Ixion, the Thunder Horse in human form, wore clothes somewhat reminiscent to that of ancient Roman or Greek garb; a knee length white, blue trimmed chiton that hung off one shoulder with matching pants and a long grey tasseled chlamys (cape) draped down his back, blue boots with grey straps, and a large gold hexagonal bangle on his right arm. His hair was short and styled not too dissimilar to Wakka's, only less gravity defying, but had four long locks of hair framing his face and neck, bound by gold and blue hair clamps.

Having properly cowed the forever clashing southern islanders, Ixion turned his steel grey eyes to the envoy of the fayth. "_**Bahamut, you are most knowledgeable of the Farplane's inner workings. We beseech your council.**_"

Bahamut frowned, his small hands fisted at his sides. "_**Just before what happed with Shuyin, I had noticed an oddity with the Core Sphere. I was uncertain then, and I had no time to actually study the irregularities before we were captured, but I know now. Someone has been **_**draining**_** the Core.**_"

The surrounding fayth gasped in dread. If the Core were to ever collapse, all of the Farplane, and Spira by proxy, would tear itself apart. The group of fayth buzzed loudly in frantic conversation, quickly growing more and more angry and panicked with each passing moment.

It was then Shiva stepped forward. "_**Silence!**_" she shouted over the crowd with all the regal dignity and firmness of royalty, sending a blast of her icy energy at her fellow fayth. Quiet immediately came over the gathered spirits. "_**We have much to do and little time! We shall go to the Core and find out what-**_" Shiva had been cut off by a familiar but sudden voice yelling in the distance.

"_**HEY!**_" the whole group turned to see the fayth of Anime and Yojimbo with his dog Daigoro slowly making their way to them. The condition of which they returned cast a sense of dread over all the fayth. The sword for hire was limping towards them as he held his injured dog tucked under one arm, the man's beloved Zanmato katana was being carried by Anime as she supported most of the older fayth's weight. His white-purple hakama and bright orange and yellow cloak were a mess. His customary and favored sondogasa that he always wore was missing, leaving his long dark brown hair hanging mostly loose from its ponytail. Anime looked tired and more than a little worse for ware but still better than Yojimbo as her blue and white dress was torn, frayed, and singed all over while bruises, burns, and cuts decorated her normally flawless skin. Her dark hair covered her face, but tear tracks became more noticeable as they came closer to the gathered fayth.

Shiva was among the first to react along with Cindy of the Magus Sisters. "_**Yojimbo! Anima! What happened to you?**_"

Yojimbo hissed in pain as Shiva gently wrapped an arm around his bruised ribs and helped him sit against a nearby boulder, noticing for the first time how sodden the three of them were, as Cindy took Daigoro and placed the whimpering canine next to his master. Mindy had come up and helped sit and console the distraught looking Anima.

Cindy pushed the frilly layered skirt of her blue and gold trimmed dress under her before beginning to cast her White Curative Magic. "_**Such damage,**_" Cindy examined the younger fayth as her healing light mended and eased his pain. "_**Fayth are highly resistant to injury. What could be strong enough to hurt you so?**_"

He spat a wad of blood before saying, "_**That bastard did this… and look at what he did to Daigoro! **_" he groused, gently running his hand through the blood matted fur of his faithful companion. "_**If we were not already dead he would have killed us!**_"

Sandy, the oldest of the Magus Sisters, noticed how Anima flinched at Yojimbo's words. "_**Anima, sweetheart, yah know who this mercenary is talking about.**_" she stated rather than asked. Her arms crossed under her red, leather clad bust and hardened blue eyes bore into the youngest of the fayth.

Anima looked up at the woman in the tight and short cut red leather version of temple robes and tall, high heeled boots. While Sandy's voice was not accusatory, her eyes held non of her usual sly playfulness. She was serious and had the dangerous predatory edge of the mantis her Aeon was modeled after. She then looked to the blond, sunshine-yellow and black striped robed Mindy, who was looking at her with worry and curiosity, before saying, "_**It… it was Seymour, my foolish, foolish son.**_"

"_**The little lunatic, he actually did it.**_" Yojimbo looked up at his brethren, his brown eyes filled with anger, disbelief, and worry, as Cindy finished healing him and his dog. "_**Seymour is rebuilding SIN.**_"

Surprise made all eyes on Anima and Yojimbo widened.

o0O0o

* * *

FLASHBACK

"_**AARRGGHH!**_" Yojimbo screamed in pain as he was thrown back against a nearby rock face, causing the stone to crack, Daigoro landing in a painfully dusty skid at his side. Their Aeon shapes burst into light, leaving their fayth forms bare.

"_**Yojimbo! Daigoro!**_" Anima cried as she ran to them. She kneeled beside them, giving them a quick look over, assessing the amount of damage they received, before turning to the assailant. "_**Why are you doing this?! Why do you refuse to be at peace and stop all this madness?!**_"

Before the fayth, floating several feet off the ground in front of a slowing dwindling Core Sphere and cent of an amass of thousands of swirling Pyreflies, was the son of Anima and Jyscal Guado, the former Measter Seymour. His body had transformed into that of its last and most powerful shape before his sending, he was in the for of Seymour Omnis. The now transparent and glowing blue haired man smiled at the woman he called mother and said, "**The answer is simple, dear mother,**" the blue haired man said. "**I want to release Spira from the feeling of sorrow, to save it from itself. But in order to do that, I needed power, enough power to purge an entire world.**" he explained. "**The hearts of the people are fickle and volatile, their views so often clash with one another that they create wars. SIN was the result of one such war and created a spiral of death that lasted a millennia.**"

"_**SIN is gone now, and the spiral of death with it! Summoner Yuna's Eternal Calm-**_"

"**Lady Yuna's Eternal Calm is naught but a fragile dream easily shattered!**" Seymour cut Anima off with a snarl at the mention of the High Summoner. He calmed himself before continuing, "**The people are ungrateful fools and have already proven that with their recent actions. They are like lost Chocobos and I am their Sheppard. I will lead them into the silent darkness of ever lasting oblivion and to a true Eternal Calm.**"

Anima stood and yelled. "_**You do not have the right to decide their fates!**_"

"**Never the less, I shall grant them eternal sleep.**" The dead Guado held out the long digits of his hand to the woman and said, "**Join with me, my dearest mother, and I shall overlook your offenses against me. The strength of your Aeon is great, nearly rival to SIN's. Together, with SIN as our armor and vessel, we would reap the life of this world and every other we come across… All you need do is take my hand, and we will be a family again, as we should.**"

Next to Anima, Yojimbo had managed to pull himself into a kneeling position, using his katana as his support. He gave a strained chuckle at Seymour's words. "_**You… really are… some piece of work… I weep in sympathy for Anima. Her son… a child born of love… has become her nightmare in her absence; a murderer… with a twisted sense of reality.**_" the ronin panted out, Daigoro pawed the ground and growled in agreement.

Seymour frowned, his eyes narrowed as his anger at the downed Aeon boiling. He raised his hand, his Mortiphasms spinning and landing on three of the yellow seals for lightning and the red seal of fire. A ball of condensed lightning formed in his hand. "**Be gone, irritant. Your presence here has grown tiresome.**" The ball of lightning launched from his outstretched hand.

Yojimbo clenched his teeth, he refused to close his eyes like a coward, as he watch his destruction come careening towards him. His body was too numb to dodge properly, and he would never even begin to think of abandoning his dog if he could move. He was also too low on mana and he knew only the bare basics of the White Arts to even attempt to cast anything strong enough to protect himself. '**If I am going to die here,**' Yojimbo thought to himself as the attack drew closer, '**then I will look death in the face once more and die with honor, like a true warrior.**'

"_**NO!**_" Anima was suddenly in front of Yojimbo, using her back as a protective shield. She screamed when the lighting crashed into her, arcs of magical electricity forming a torturous electric cage around her. The area was illuminated in white-yellow light as Yojimbo watched in shock as the young fayth took the attack meant for him.

"_**Anima!**_" he cried out as the magical attack lost its power, leaving behind a badly singed and smoking Anima.

The fayth of the Dark Aeon panted as she swayed but managed to take a step forward, catching herself before she fell to the ground. Anima may be the youngest of the fayth but she was one of the strongest, and pain meant very little to her and would not hold her down. She was too used to it.

Seymour sneered at his mother's actions. "**I see now,**" he said, his Mortiphasms spun again, this time landing on a pair of fire and ice seals, allowing his to perform a Double Cast. Anima dipped into her mana reserves and threw up a NulFrost and NulBlaze protection she learned during her travels with Yuna when she saw his Mortiphasms move. Dozens of fireballs the size of Blitzballs bombarded and exploded against a wall of Anima's protective red NulBlaze.

"**You oppose me yet again!**" he sent a hail of ice spears next.

A white ball of anti-elemental magic expanded and shielded the three fayth from the frozen spikes.

"**So be it, if you will not stand with me, then you will parish with the rest of Spira!**" he yelled over the roar of his magically conjured tidal wave.

The two human fayths' eyes widened '**When did he cast that?!**' they wondered him unison. They looked at his Mortiphasms and saw that all four had rotated again, landing on four water seals. Anima poured in as much mana as fast as she could to cast NulTide just as the crushing wave of water crashed.

Seymour looked at the now empty field before him with stoic eyes and an indifferent face. He no longer cared for the woman who bore him into life. She had promised him her power and protection, but she had betrayed him. So now the half-Guado washed his hands of her and didn't bother with the thought of whether she and Yojimbo survived his attack or not, he had more important things to think of. Seymour turned and smirked at the Core, hovering innocently and almost half drained of its rich energy. Just a little longer and he would have finally achieved his greatest dream.

END FLASHBACK

o0O0o

* * *

"_**My fellow fayth,**_" Bahamut called, causing everyone to turn to him, "_**hear me! We've little precious time to spare, so we Aeon fayth will go to the Core to stop Seymour! But if we fail… we may have to invoke the most forbidden of all our rituals.**_" Many of the fayth were immediately up in arms against Bahamut's suggestion.

"_**Surely there are other avenues which we may explore?!"**_" Ixion asked.

"_**Oi, Bahamut, 'ave ya gone daft?!**_" Valefor added

The child fayth shook his hooded head. "_**No, but I would rather face the consequences of the ritual than to watch both realms of our world fade into oblivion because of one misguided man's lust for power.**_" It was with this proclamation that the fayth around Bahamut began to slowly, grudgingly agree with the dragon. Bahamut turned away as began to envelop him and his summoning circle appeared. "_**I am going now.**_" with a flash, the great dragon king emerge in all his dark glory, sapphire blue eyes glowing. "_**FOLLOW ME IF YOU WISH,**_" he said to the Aeon fayth, his voice coming out as a guttural growl, before looking to the mass of Zanarkand fayth, "_**BUT THE REST OF YOU WILL PREPARE THE RUTUAL IF OUR EFFORTS TO AVERT DESASTER IS VAIN.**_" The large drake spread his wings and took off.

"_**Tch, can't say I'm really shocked about all this.**_" Ifrit crossed his arms, a grim look of acknowledgement and anticipation on his face as flames danced and grew around him. "_**But that wretched fool has just gambled away the last of his good fortune.**_" The great demonic looking hound of fire then appeared. Ifrit turned his horned head towards a tearful Anima and said, "_**SORRY ANIMA, BUT YOUR BRAT IS JUST TOO AMBITIOUS FOR HIS OWN GOOD.**_" then the Kilikan left, quickly followed by the other transformed Aeons until only Anima and a transformed Mindy the Magus Sisters was left. The fayth of Zanarkand moved away to find larger, more stable grounds to prepare their ritual.

"_**Anima,**_" the little bee buzzed. "_**You don't have to come if you don't feel like you can fight him.**_"

The brunette looked at the older, smaller Aeon, giving her a watery smile. "_**This is my fault,**_" she cried, "_**If I had only… I should've-**_"

"_**Now that's enough of that kind of thinking!**_" Mindy yelled, huffing as she stomped a clawed foot. Her insectoid wings buzzed loudly as she lifted off the ground to stare the younger female in the eyes, he hand on her hips. "_**Now listen here. When you gave yourself to become a fayth and Seymour's Aeon, you became his sword and shield. As the wielder, he misused the power you entrusted to him when he got greedy and started sacrificing and hurting people for a warped dream. He even killed the man you loved, his own father, good Measter Jyscal.**_" Mindy then crossed her arms, the bee Aeon looked at the woman seriously, watching her wince at the mention of her husband. "_**I know its hard, but you've already faced him once in battle. We let him be when he died, but he has proven he can not be trusted to be at peace even in death.**_"

Anima said nothing for a long moment before she stood up and nodded. "_**I …I understand.**_" she said as she rubbed tears from her eyes. "_**My son has become cruel and cold and refused to repent for his sins in life and death. I have caused him to become this way, so I will atone for that. …It will be hard …and painful, but I am forced discipline my unruly boy as his mother once more.**_" Anima looked at Mindy with conviction. "_**Let's go, to save the world from Seymour again."**_

_**Mindy gave a grim nod. She picked up the woman, and together, they flew at the bee's top speed to the battle field ahead where explosions were erupting like fireworks. Anima's dark energy of the Underworld swirled around her in waiting.**_


	4. Day of SIN pt2

**Author**: Gatecrasher12

**Word Count**: 6064

**Genre**: Action/Romance/Drama/General

**Game**: Final Fantasy 10-2

**Published Date**: 3-5-10

**Author's Note**: It took me a while, but here it is! The fourth chapter, my longest to date of seven pages, is finished. I'm so happy! I hope you all who read it like it. The stage is set, the characters are in place, and main acts are about to begin. So readers, please do enjoy.

* * *

Chapter Four: Day of SIN: part 2

* * *

"…_**HEAVENLY STRIKE**__**.**_" Shiva's soft spoken voice was even and low but resounding, like a ringing death chime, sending chills through all who heard, as high pitched whistling sound rang out. Several hundred tons of crystal ice fell from the sky like hail on a crowd of fiends, crushing and burying them in frigid tomb, that had appeared around Seymour. The icy queen wasted no time as she continued to beat a back fiends alongside the rest of the Aeons around her, moving with poise and grace of a dancer normally not found in any creature made of ice. She delivered a series of kicks to an Water Elemental, making it fall to pieces, and preformed a Blizzara on a oozing red Flame Flan, causing it to gurgle in pain and freeze over. Shiva gave the frozen blob a swift kick, shattering it, before giving a surprised cry as lacerations appeared on her side from the claws of a Master Coeurl that had suddenly pounced from nowhere. The blue ice Aeon flipped away the majestically savage beast, holding her side, before it could get in another swipe. Shiva cast a mild healing Blizzard on herself during a mid-air somersault then rushed the large predator when she landed, carefully evading the spells tossed at her from its long, magically endowed whiskers and delivered a harsh flying roundhouse kick.

The amass of Pyreflies that Seymour summoned would be used to recreate SIN, but as within their nature, had given life to thousands of fiends. The Aeons had decided to fight in two groups, the first group would go after Seymour to try and stop him while the second would stay behind to attempt to thin the number of fiends and keep them from interfering with the battle.

While fiends were a common yet meager sight in the Farplane, sighting only a small group or two every few miles or so, the sheer number of monsters in this one place alone would amount to several acres of land in the Farplane. They all pushed and shoved or trampled and climbed over each other in a chaotic effort to traverse the winding, overflowing roads and paths while in the air the wings of flying fiends made the sky seem dark to those below. They were all making their way to the Core of the Farplane where Seymour was busily rebuilding SIN, drawn by the power the crazed man was emitting like moths to a flame.

Ifrit roared in fury, his bestial instincts causing him to go into a animalistic rage that made him see all but his other Aeon pack mates as a threat. Most of the weaker fiends to flinch back as the stronger ones lunged at him in challenge. Ifrit growled in ferocious anger as he put his long sword like black claws to use, raking flesh from bone and painting the ground a gory mess of blood and meat. He opened his maw and spat out a large ball of exploding fire, yelling out "_**FIRAGA!**_" and incinerating all that was caught within it. Ifrit ignored the urge to look at his achievements, though the scent of cooked meat was a really… tempting, mouthwatering distraction. He spied some of the smaller, edible fiends and wondered if he could snap one up for a nibble or two unnoticed. '**NOW'S NOT THE TIME FOR FOOD!**' the human half of his mind scolded, '**WE'VE GOT WORK TO DO! KILL FIENDS NOW, EAT LATER!**'. Ifrit's head turned when he noticed a flying fiend about to dive-bomb at the fighting Yojimbo's turned back and moved to intercept. The ronin turned when he heard a screech to see a large winged fiend, a Zu, being wrestled to the ground by Ifrit, his jaws lock around its thick neck. His once pearly white fangs dripped with dark blood as he tore out its throat. In his lion-dog form, Daigoro was hardly any better acting than Ifrit as he used his enhanced speed to pounce, maul, and claw a Dinonix to a painful and savage death. Yojimbo immediately sidestepped out of the way as several Coyotes tried to ambush him, dipping between each of them, and pulled out a handful of kunai from the inner folds of his cloak, coating them with his Kozuka power to make them sharper and faster, and threw them at the wild beasts, killing and injuring them. Yojimbo's lesser but still trusted sword, Wakizashi, bit into a tentacle of a nearby Malboro as it tried to grab him, spilling blood and other questionable fluids, amputating many of its writhing limbs with precise, fluid cuts. Yojimbo quickly backed away as the vile creature roared --acidic saliva spewing everywhere through several rows of jagged, foot long yellow fangs-- releasing green, noxious gases of Bad Breath, as to not get poisoned. The hired sword threw more of his Kozuka kunai at the massive creature's many eyes, hitting and blinding several of them. The Malboro gave a shriek of pain as several of its eyes were penetrated. Yojimbo quickly summoned his Zanmato, unsheathing it and dashed for the nightmarish beast. In less time it took to blink, Yojimbo passed by the fiend and did not stop, switching back to using his Wakizashi and moved on to face the other fiends. The Malboro he left behind had only managed to turn after him before slimy green blood exploded from its body and fell apart in ten large pieces, its remains bursting into Pyreflies.

Mindy was flying around, using the rapid fire stingers of her Passado to take out small groups of Wasp fiends and several Evil Eyes that dotted the skies with near pin-point accuracy. She easily dodged out of the way of an Oversouled Divebeak that had tried to sideswipe her with its Blight Wing attack and threw a Demi spell after it, crushing it. The little bee started peppering the grounded fiends like the Fungi with many Fira spells, occasionally casting Osmosis and Drain on the more magically inclined fiends like the Larva or the Imps when she felt her mana stores and health begin to grow dangerously low. Cindy grappled with some of the more physically stronger monsters such as the Ogre she was currently circling with. The blue ladybug rushed forward, duck under the beast's four arms when it made to grab her, and had managed to get behind it. Cindy locked her arms around the Ogre's waist and opened her polka-dotted shell, letting her wings free, and flew up a few feet before leaning back, performing a high flying super suplex on the fiend, flipping the hairy creature on its head before it could realize what she was doing. She stood over the dazed brute and jumped high into the air, coming back down at extreme speeds for her Camisade. Her body slam created a wide crater and utterly destroyed her opponent. Close by, Sandy was utilizing he greater land speed as she zipped around the battlefield, looking like a deadly, unstopping red blur, and lashing out with her glowing sickle-like blades on her forearms to perform her Razzia. She could feel her mana enforced blades slice into soft flesh like a warm knife through butter. She only had a bit of trouble with fiends that had hardened shells like the short and enduring Helms and tough scales of the fierce Drakes. But all it took to hack into them was a quick Armor Break ability she learned from watching Sir Auron, Yuna's Unsent Guardian. The red mantis severed off the heads and limbs of any and all fiends that got in her way with cold precision, leaving a trail of death in her wake.

oO0Oo

* * *

Ahead of the six battling Aeons, the remaining four had just managed to break through the wall of fiends. Bahamut clawing through the last of the flying fiends while Valefor was sending several Sonic Wings out, plowing a path for Ixion and his passenger to run along on. Anima, in fayth form, clutched the thunder horse's mane tightly, riding on the charger's back as he dashed forward to their target.

"_**SEYMOUR!**_" Bahamut bellowed angrily.

The half-Guado smirked in mockery at the arrival of the Aeons. "**Ah, Lord Bahamut, it is an honor to meet one of the oldest of Aeons in person.**"

The black dragon growled in response, "_**YOU WILL STOP THIS INANITY NOW OR WE WILL BE FORCED TO ERASE YOU FROM EXISTENCE.**_" he pointed a golden talon at the man as the muscles under his scales tensed and bulged. Four large balls of black, non-elemental energy growing at his flanks, his Impulse attack ready to be thrown, showing his sincerity of his words. Close be hind him, blue-white thunder and lighting cracked and danced in wide arcs around Ixion's hooked horn, preparing his Aerospark while bright red energy of Valefor's Energy Ray gathered within her beak. Anima took the moment to materialize her Aeon form around herself, rising high above them all.

Seymour gave the larger beast a look condescending amusement. "**Erase me? How, when you are already to late to stop me?**" He then raised a hand and within it a long shard-like rune stone made of time roughened marble about the length of a Blitzball appeared in a flash.

The Aeon could feel two powers within the large hunk of stone as it pulsed with light that interchanged every second between blue and white forces; one of the energies was similar to the kind given off by the Core and the other was the recognizable energy given off only by a Summoner. …But the second energy was strange, however. It was old, somewhat familiar, yet highly tainted despite its pure color.

"**Behold, within my grasp I now hold the key to my ascension. All the energy siphoned from the Core, in the palm of my hand.**" Seymour smirked at the Aeons and said, "**Thank Lady Yunalesca for she gifted me with this delightful contribution. So without further ado, let the age of SIN begin anew!**" At his words, the Guado's inhumanly long fingers tightened and snapped the marble in half. A wide ripple of energy rushed out was the stone crumbled to fine grains of glowing sand and floated up to the sky. The surrounding floating Pyreflies seemed to freeze their movements in the air for a moment before they suddenly shot towards rock grains, funneling around in a helix pattern.

Bahamut's eyes widened, memories of a similar event happening some thousand year prior with Yu Yevon. "_**WE WILL NOT ALLOW IT!**_" he yelled as he threw his Impulse, Ixion and Valefor also launched their respective attacks. Anima screeched as in agony as her lone eye glowed hot white with Pain, a bloody tear trickling down her cheek, and attacked the gathering Pyreflies. They hoped to scatter the tiny balls of memory and magic whilst vaporizing the crystal remains.

"**You can not stop me!**" Seymour moved to cut off the attacks, placing himself between them and his work, waved his hand and a vaguely mirror-like sheet of energy appeared around him. A little more. All he needed was just a few more moments and all his hard work would have finally paid off. He simply needed to last long enough.

The four attacks collided with the protective layer of magic, pushing against it, causing it to buckle inward and crack. Seymour sneered and poured more mana into his Reflect spell. The four attacks snapped back towards their originators. Bahamut and Valefor s wings gave a powerful flap and the dragon rose above his own while the bird rolled to the left. Ixion merely stood still as his sparking disks of condensed electricity struck him, giving back the energy the attack cost him. Anima quickly intercepted her attack with another, the chains that bound her making it impossible for her to properly move or dodge -- the attack was strong and would no doubt pierce the protective miasma of the underworld that always hung around the upper half of her Aeon body.

A dark overcast of clouds hovered high over Ixion and expanded to cover the entire sky above the battlefield; the white and grey horse reared back and tossed his head, bolts of lightning from his Thundaga spell surged down from the sky at his call. Seymour saw the stallion's spell conjuring stance and raised a NulShock that was immediately destroyed by Ixion's attack before throwing a level three fireball. The fireball struck the horse in the chest, throwing him away with a pained neigh. Seymour created a Shell as Bahamut flew at him, claws slashing down. The gold digits met with resistance from the red and yellow-orange shield. Two white seals aligned on the Mortiphasms and a large boulder of ice crashed into Bahamut's abdomen, forcing the ancient beast away.

Meanwhile, Valefor hovered above the battleground, her beak filling up with energy once more as Ixion distracted the hybrid Guado, when she reached the peak of her attack strength, her pony-tail of red and white feathers whipped out in a circle in the air in front of her. Seymour noticed Valefor just as a white-gold magic circle appeared in front of her before she let go of the broad ray of gathered energy into it, causing the circle to turn, and dozens of bending beams of her Energy Blast to come shooting out at her enemy. The fallen Measter, because of his form, was unable to evade but cast both Protect and Shell before the Overdrive hit him, halfing the damage done to him. He retaliated by sticking Valefor with Drain, ripping some of the health away from her with a sharp sting. Valefor was so disoriented by the sudden loss of stamina and energy that she found his hard to stay focused as she hovered in the air. As he regained a bit of health, while the bird Aeon was still confused, Seymour conjured a sickly looking ball of green-black light that gave off an overly sweetened smell, Bios, with the intent of poisoning the Besaidian Aeon. He didn't not get a chance to cast his spell when a bolt of lightning crashed between him and his target. Seymour raised his hand just in time to catch a golden horn that suddenly speared through his forearm that was quickly followed by a jarring number of several thousand volts of electricity that, had he been still alive, would have killed him before.

Ixion tossed his head with a abrupt jerk and threw away Seymour, ripping and destroying the man's forearm in the processes. The half-Guado managed to catch himself midair before he could land heavily on the ground, cradled his damaged and bleeding arm to prevent further harm on it, gritted his teeth through the immense pain, before glaring at the ancient warhorse, "**You will pay!**" he scream as his Mortiphasms turn, forcefully willing them to land on three or more blue seals. When the Mortiphasms jerkily rotated to blue, did he begin to cast a high powered water spell; his body was suddenly racked near unbearable pain, he let out an agonized scream. He turned to see the colossus named Anima towering over him, an angry yet emotionally pained flash in her eye.

"_**YOU LEAVE ME NO CHOICE, SEYMOUR. PLEASE, CEASE THIS INSANITY NOW. YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE AT REDEMPTION!**_" Anima implored her son.

"… **I will not, not when I am so close.**"

"_**THEN YOU WILL DEPART THIS LIFE THIS DAY!**_" Bahamut suddenly appeared in front of Seymour, his maw open, a sphere of energy compressed between his jaws that was quickly growing too large for him to hold, and the golden wheel floating above his back spinning rapidly.

Seymour raised both his hands together and gathered his power, "**Never!**", the amass of his mana approached and exceeded its limit. "**I will not be denied!**" he yelled. His rarely used Overdrive activated. "**Let me play your funeral song for you! REQUIEM!**"

"_**MEGA FLAR!**_"

The two Overdrives released and collided. The world around the two seemed to freeze before a massive explosion erupted.

Bahamut turned and reached for his comrades.

The Aeons let out inhuman screeches and roars as they were caught in the blast.

oO0Oo

* * *

The remaining six Aeons yelped in surprise when a sudden, deafening explosion sounded nearby. They turned to see a large shockwave barreling towards them, they scrambled behind whatever cover the larger rocks around them provided from the wall of searing fire and ash. Ifrit hunkered down and dug his claws into the ground, not at all affected by the rising heat but not wishing to be flung away, while the others huddled tightly together, Shiva raised a barrier of ice to reinforce the boulder protecting them. The shockwave hit and violently threw the friends they were fighting, those that didn't have an affinity for fire were badly burned to death. When the shockwave finally passed, the Aeons cautiously edged out of their hiding spot, Shiva's shield had melted down to a puddle of warm water, and looked around. Ifrit was off to the side, shaking his new coat of ash off himself like a dog. The number of fiends they were battling had drastically decreased to less than half, leaving only the fire type Fiends in prefect health and the more heavily armored ones injured but alive. All others lay charred to black and disintegrating.

"…_**Must be some party Bahamut and the others are throwing.**_" Mandy muttered to herself but still loud enough for the others to hear.

Shiva looked worriedly over to where the explosion originated, only to see a massive grey and black cloud of burning dust and ash quickly mushrooming up and out towards the heavens. "_**… Bahamut…Ixion, Anima, Valefor… I pray for their lives…**_"

Ifrit looked at all the felled fiends with slight irritation before eyeing the still standing fiends that were similar natured to him. "_**FEH, WELL AIN'T THIS A BITCH… EVEN WHEN THAT BRAT DRAGON ISN'T HERE, HE TAKES ALL THE FUN OUT OF FIGHTING!**_" he hissed through his fangs in displeasure, knowing he was mostly ineffective against them unless he restricted himself to using just his claws, fangs and what little Black Magic he knew. '**Not to mention those damned hard shelled fiends are a pain in the ass to tear into.**'

"_**Ifrit, darlin'…,**_" Sandy spoke as she stood, "_**shut your oversized pothole and help us clean up the rest of these fiends so we could hurry up to the others.**_" she ordered. Ifrit growled at her and muttered curses and swears under breath before attacking the closest fiends.

oO0Oo

* * *

Bahamut was kneeling down on one knee, breathing heavily, with his great wings wrapped around himself. Many of his protective scales were badly scorch, some he noticed were missing, being completely blown off, but he himself was mostly unharmed. The converter wheel on his back and the back of the colored 'feathers' of his wings were blackened to match the rest of his armored scales. The dark drake opened his wings, revealing his unconscious brethren tucked safely in his arms. The power behind the explosion had overwhelmed them and forced them back into their fayth forms, by that time Bahamut had enclosed them within the safety of his arms and wings, using himself as their shield. He wasn't to worried about what kind of damages he had endured for them -his scales were thick and as strong as tempered Mythril-, while his Overdrive wasn't as devastating as Anima's terrible Oblivion or similar to the all consuming combined power of the Magus Sister's Delta Attack, he was still a great force to be reckoned with and had higher defensive strength, both physical and magical, and endurance than the four of them. …Of coarse, that didn't mean he was exempt from pain and hadn't felt the damage done, because his back muscles were now screaming with each movement he made, and knew, even in fayth form, he was going to feel the hurt later on with vengeance. His scales may have numbed his sense of touch in this body, but he still feel a strong enough blow of magic. His dignity and pride as a dragon simply would not allow him to voice his pains unless completely alone.

These were the times he wished he had Ifrit's lesser tact and devil-may-care attitude.

The black dragon's glowing blue eyes shifted and he turned to look behind him when he heard movement. "_**SO… YOU ARE STILL STANDING, IF BARELY.**_"

Blood from gaping wounds flowed and dripped to the ground under the hunched over figure of Seymour who was holding himself up through sheer willpower alone. He no longer had the energy left in him to hold his Omnis form and was now back in his original body; he was covered from head to toe with cuts, scrapes, bruises, and burns. His prestigious and grandiose robes hung off his frame in burned, unsalvageable scraps of cloth and Bahamut found Seymour Guado a pitiful sight to behold.

The dead Human-Guado hybrid's steely grey eyes looked up at Bahamut, displaying both the light of greater insanity and the darkness of black rage and hatred as he stood against the Aeon persistently. Still, the man was defiant and desperate; he looked ready to continue fighting just as much as he looked ready to fall over into oblivion. "**T-this is… not the end… I won't… I won't let it be.**" he panted .

"…_**I WILL SAY THIS OF YOU, YOU ARE A TANACIOUS ONE,**_" Bahamut reluctantly commended as he lay the other fayth on the ground and slowly stood, "_**BUT STILL, YOUR ATTEMPTS AT POWER ARE AS VAIN AND FUTILE AS THEY WERE IN LIFE.**_" he stated, his Impulse already taking shape. "_**YOU WOULD DRAG TWO INNOCENT WORLDS INTO THE ABYSS FOR YOUR OWN SELFISH DESIRES, FOR REASONS I WILL NOT ALLOW TO COME TO PASS. I WILL DESTROY YOU NOW!**_" He said, the four balls rushed forward. '**FORGIVE ME, ANIMA.**'

As the attack sped towards Seymour, something happened. A thick wall of Pyreflies encamped around the blue haired menace, deftly canceling out Bahamut's attack.

"_**WHAT IS THIS?!**_" the dragon demanded in surprise and angry confusion.

Then, seemingly without cause, the mostly forgotten Pyreflies that were now protecting Seymour lifted him up, raising him to the sky where other Pyreflies began to amass and congeal into a strange but dreadfully memorable form. Seymour looked around himself, comprehension dawning on his face, and started to laugh. "**Hehehe! Yes,**" he said, "**Hahahaha! Yes! My dream, my power, my time has finally come!**"

Bahamut growled and snarled in denial. "_**Bahamut!**_" the dragon turned when he heard the voice of Shiva call to him and to see the remaining Aeons sprinting towards him.

"_**WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!**_" Ifrit questioned before his smoldering amber eyes spied the downed fayth laying not too far from their leader. A spike of anger and worry stabbed through him as he took in their battered forms. A low, yet loud growl vibrated deep in his chest, his eyes had not strayed at the three unconscious fayth, Cindy hurried over to the four and began casting Life spells and Curaga. "_**WHAT HAPPENED?**_" he asked dangerously.

"_**I'LL EXPLAIN AT ANOTHER TIME, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A MORE IMPORTANT PROBLEM TO WORRY ABOUT.**_" The group of Aeons looked up at what their leader pointed at. Hanging up high in the air, Seymour looked positively enamored with the ghostly colossal monstrosity half shaped around him.

"_**OH, FUCKING HELL …**_" Ifrit swore vulgarly. "_**WE GOTTA STOP THE CRAZY LITTLE JACKASS BEFORE HE DESTROYS EVERYTHING!**_"

"_**Agreed,**_" Shiva said as Ixion, Valefor, and Anima roused and sat up in a confused daze. "_**Bahamut and the sisters will go to battle Seymour in the air. We will send Valefor to join you shortly when she composes herself, whilst the rest of us give support from the floating islands."**_

"_**Then what are we waiting for?!**_" Mindy said as she took off, her sisters and Bahamut close behind. The remaining grounded Aeons began to make their way to higher ground after Shiva cast an Esuna on the three mystified and disoriented fayth.

oO0Oo

* * *

"_**SEYMOUR!**_" Bahamut bellowed as he and the Magus Sisters leveled with the maddened half-Guado.

The blue haired man turned, a slow smile twisting his lips, his eyes half lidded, panting and shuddering as though experiencing an ecstasy like no other at the rush of power coursing through his veins. It felt like a drug that left his body tingling pleasantly with arousal. "**You are out of time, I can feel it… SIN, is becoming one with me.**" His eyes began to glow at his words.

"_**Damn you, vile fiend!**_" Valefor screeched as she came charging past her fellows, leading the other flying Aeons who, after a moment of surprise at her sudden arrival, leapt into action after her. Not far behind them were the remaining Aeons, casting level three and stronger magic spells and, for those with long enough stretching reach, preparing to use their Overdrives.

Seymour smiled insanely as the Aeons stormed to him.

oO0Oo

* * *

He just couldn't sleep. It was late in the night- or should it be early morning?- and dawn was only a few hours away. The sky was already beginning to lighten to a dull blue-grey. Of the many scores of monkeys that had made a home alongside him deep within the ancient and most sacred temple in all of Spira, the Zanarkand Dome, this one monkey drew his ire more than the others. Duster, his pet monkey and companion, who had taken an unrelenting liking to the man, following Isaaru around everywhere he went and the like, even sneaking into his room at night to curl up with him before bed or stealing away into his luggage whenever the man left the ancient city to visit his brothers at Mushroom Rock Road or in Bevelle, would not stop his insistent and continuous screeching and howling. He had kept Isaaru awake for three nights in a row now. At first it wasn't so bad, only lasting an hour or two, but now it was beginning to wear at his usually patient nerves. As sweet and endearing as the little chimp was, at the moment Isaaru wasn't so against tossing the noisy little beast out the door, especially with the way he was jumping on his chest so persistently. The twenty-four year old ex-Summoner groaned in irritation as he rolled over in his makeshift bed, sending the monkey tumbling off.

Duster, apparently, wouldn't easily be subsided. Isaaru swatted at the little prime ape before he pushed his head under his pillow, already at his wits end, pressing the fluffy cushion tightly against his ears when Duster started shaking his arm and howling even louder. When that did little more than muffle the sound, the former Summoner of Bevelle sat up in a defeated groggy haze, childishly hugging his pillow to his chest while crossly gnawing on one corner of it.

Isaaru let go of his pillow and rubbed his burning sleep deprived eyes as he whined, "Please, be quiet Duster, so I can sleep."

Duster, when his human had finally risen, jumped off the bed and started baring tiny fangs; hissing and swiping his blunt nails at the door urgently, his fur standing on end and looking positively agitated.

Isaaru yawned as he looked down at the little white fur ball curiously. "What's wrong Duster? Do you need to be let out?"

Soulful brown eyes looked up at the human in seeming exasperation before Duster went back to growling. The former Summoner's brow furrowed, becoming a little more awake with suspicion at the monkey's hostile behavior. His little friend was usually a peaceable, if plucky, little thing and only got aggressive like this whenever a fiend or a malicious Unsent was nearby. The brunette threw off his covers and reached for his magic staff that he kept at his bedside as he stood up and made his way to the door. Slowly, Isaaru unlocked and opened his door a crack, just enough for him to see out of. The main hall of the Dome was innocently silent and empty. Instantly mental warning bells were ringing for Isaaru as he quietly closed his door again and relocked it.

"The main hall was empty… and quiet," Isaaru muttered to himself, "the nighttime chatter of the monkeys and the humming from the Pyreflies are always a constant anywhere one goes in Zanarkand." '_Something is wrong with this picture._' Monkeys were territorial animals and did not simply abandon their homes easily and the Pyreflies had been here for ages already. If either was missing, for Isaaru saw not a one Pyrefly floating about or a monkey that was lazing around either, then something was amiss. As the self appointed caretaker of the Dome it was Isaaru's duty to oversee it.

Deciding to look into the happenings in the temple, the brunette hastily threw off his nightwear and pulled on his blue Summoner's Robes and tied back his hair, tucked his Mythril Knife Maroda gave him in his sash, slipped on his Aegis Bangle that Pacce gifted him, a small pouch full of Potions and Antidotes in his belt, and he picked up his Flash Stick -a nifty and useful little Al-Bhed invention that resembled a torch with a sphere on top (it held the essence of Thunder magic in it) that would never go out; Cid had given it to him as part of a survival pack before he left the city- before cautiously venturing out his room. Duster loyally scampered up onto his shoulder as she closed his door firmly behind him.

Isaaru's brown eye roved around the antechamber warily as he held up and activated his Flash Stick, causing a wide yellow-white array of light to shine around him, his staff hung in his had at his side with expert ease, ready to lash out or cast magic. He looked towards the stairs that led to the Cloister, then he looked up towards the entrance doors he had locked earlier before retiring to his room and could see them still shut and locked. The once Summoner turned towards the Cloister of Trials and carefully, quietly ascended the many steps, noting Duster's increasing anxiety and every so often glimpsing a monkey darting away from his light in fright as he reached the top. He peered through the door of the first of the trial's puzzle rooms, checking the ceiling and every shadowy corner rather than carelessly walking in. He had heard about how fiends had managed to desecrate the temples all across Spira with their foul presence a few months ago from both Maroda and Pacce and knew even before then that Bevelle's hypocrisy besmirched its own temple by willingly housing both them and machina during the time of Old Yevon. He continued through, repeating a thorough inspection of the second puzzle room then ambled in, making his way to the elevator while keeping his eyes constantly roaming around the room. Isaaru cringed at the loud grating sound when he stepped fully onto the platform as it began to lower itself to the Chamber of Fayth.

The former Bevellian looked at the archway into the chamber with a strange sense trepidation, foreboding. The doorway itself was no different than usual… and yet… the young ex-Summoner couldn't seem to shake the feeling of dread that was shooting through him. Even with his Flash Stick lighting his path, the almost unnatural darkness in room beyond just seem absorb it. It was perplexing for Isaaru to feel nervous about walking into a room he had passed through many times previously when he should feel nothing. Even Duster was afraid, for the moment the elevator stopped in front of the Chamber he ferreted his way into the folds of his human's long vest-like jacket, his head poking halfway out the back of Isaaru's collar with his long ears flat against his head and body quivering like a leaf.

'_Duster is usually so recklessly brave, but now he's so spooked.' _Isaaru shook his head and put on a determined face. "Right, now is not the time for cowardice." he said aloud and stepped forward into the room.

Isaaru gave the chamber a slow looking over, finding the room had looked no different than how he seen it last; partially razed to ruins and dusty but in the midst of restoration, like the rest of the temple. Isaaru slowly walked in and was just stepping around the cracked and empty Fayth Statue when his eyes just so happened to wander to it. The brunette did a double take and found his brain had gone blank for a moment. His eyes widened and dilated as he paled and stumbled back two steps in blatant horror, his blood began pumping ice at what he was looking at.

"N-no… this- this can't be happening…" Isaaru mumbled as he stepped back again. Under the cracked protective crystal casing, the once blank stone statue of the Fayth was changing, was becoming alive with Fayth once more. Then, immediately he turned around and ran back to the lift when the face of the Fayth emerged. He had to get outside to the CommSphere he regularly used to talk to his brothers immediately. He needed to warn Lady Yuna, the Youth League, New Yevon, anyone who would hear him and heed his terrible warning.

Back within the Chamber of Fayth, the stone morphed into an elongated grey-black pentagon with 'pulsing' blue-green rune-like swirls decorated across it, at the top of the statue was a cracked half sphere with the insignia of Yevon in it, but it was the figure in the center frozen in pose that sent the young ex-Summoner scurrying away. Seymour Guado's partially turned upper body was protruding from the stone, his face was deceptively serene in a perfect picture of 'sleep'. Chains wrapped around his bare biceps, chest, and collared neck; one chain rope linked up to one hand dressed in a tarnished silver clawed gauntlet placed over his heart like a shackle while the other disappeared into the stone. At his waist, where the hem of a sash could be seen, was the back carapace of the creature known as Mortibody wrapping around its master like a loyal pet.

Had Isaaru stayed only a moment longer, he would have seen a group Pyreflies coming into the Chamber of Fayth from the opposite doorway, from Yunalesca's Master Chamber. He also would have seen the Pyreflies become a withered, infirm man in his forties dressed in bejeweled robes of a High Priest of Old with light of insanity coloring his icy blue eyes watching him leave. Cradled in his gnarled hands was a broken, glowing piece of a Yu Pagoda, identical to the one Seymour has destroyed.

The old priest stepped up to the Fayth Statue, his Pyreflies slowing being sucked into the stone in his hands. He raised the shard above his head, sharp end pointed down and said in a raspy voice, "With this deed… and your sacrifice, Seymour Guado, Fayth of SIN… the Fayth shall dream again and my memory of Zanarkand will be rebuilt." He then stabbed down, plunging it into the statue. Energy burst outward from the Pagoda and coated the enchanted sculpture of the wayward Halfling. "…I, Yu Yevon, give you my gratitude for all your hard work in allowing my resurrection of SIN." he expressed thanks before disappearing into the Yu Pagoda as it sank into the bust.

In that moment, the world around the ruined Zanarkand began to quake and the morning skies darkened once more. Lightning rained down onto the earth and the Pyreflies began to gather. Spira seemed to still and go quiet in anticipation as a cold chill swept through the land. The Spiral of Death would soon begin anew.


	5. Advent of Soul Shattered Dreams

**Title**: Danse Macabre Undone

**Author**: Gatecrasher12

**Word Count**: 4384

**Genre**: Action/Romance/Drama/General

**Game**: Final Fantasy 10-2

**Published Date**: 3-30-10

**Author's Note**:

* * *

Chapter Five: The Advent of Soul Shattered Dreams

* * *

++Dream++

Blue and green bi-colored eyes slowly slid open at the haunting sound of a passing by Pyrefly. Yuna blinked at the sight of white and violet flowers rising daintily out of low hanging dewy mist and pushed herself up. The brunette songstress looked around in confusion, finding herself marooned on a small lonesome floating island no bigger than her tent home back on Besaid, she then noticed what she was wearing. Instead of the nightgown she remembered going to bed in last night, she was adorned in her Songstress dress.

'_I'm dreaming,_' she thought to herself, Yuna had a good idea where she was, she had been to the Farplane too many times before already to know what it looked like '_I know I am because the only way to get to the Farplane is through the portals in the temples._'

Yuna crawled her way to the edge of the floating isle when she heard distant, familiar sounds of battle… '_This is…the Farplane… it changed?_' she thought as she looked over the edge and down a the world below.

It was a disaster area, one infested with a staggering amount of fiends. She could also make out many souls of the ageless dead who were strong enough to continued on existing as whole spirits rather than scattered memories. Famous and mundane warriors, mages, former Summoners, all other kinds of fighters from all walks of life and times of old banding together as brothers-and-sisters-in-arms, forming a rag-tag, impromptu army to fend off the contemptible beasts. While most fought to reclaim their long well earned deathly peace from the fiends that had beset the Farplane, other less savory and righteous individuals simply did so to quench their aged and long suppressed battle lust.

The ground as far as the eyes could see and beyond below Yuna's floating loft was torn asunder as large gouges were carve and scared horrendously into the land. Magic fires raged, blackening the ground in many places, as the other elements ripped through the terrain, leaving not a shred of the ethereal beauty the Farplane was known for in their wake. The many detestable fiends and courageous dead spirits ravaged the once stunning and serene land with their unrelenting crusade to wipe each other out. The near tireless dead souls were both winning and losing against the fell beasts, killing them by the hoards yet many more kept spawning in masses. In the far distance she could see the land dying; the constant mists evaporating and the pale, colorful flowers shrivel up as the earth became parched and cracked before uprooting, falling to pieces along with the floating islands crumbled and fell out of the slowly darkening sky. The heavens, which was once as beautiful as the land beneath it, looked poisoned and disillusioning to behold.

'…_What happened? Why am I seeing this?!_'

In her distraction, Yuna hadn't realized Pyreflies were manifesting from her now glowing dress and that she was no longer as alone as she thought before a voice, one both painfully and wonderfully familiar, spoke, "… Sad, isn't it?" Yuna turned around to her immediate right so fast she nearly lost her balance. Surprised bi-colored blue and green clashed with cool aqua blue.

"You… what are you doing here…?"

Shuyin stood just a few feet away, hand stuffed into his pockets as he stood next to at the edge of the island, giving her a sidelong look. His stance appeared relaxed, but the tension in his shoulders gave away his apprehensive disposition. The blond looked down at the brunette with detached uneasiness. While she was a lovely young woman, he felt no fondness for her, and while he didn't hate her, he didn't quite know how to treat her or reconcile with her for his past actions against her and her friends. He also found out from Lenne about her deep feelings of longing for a certain mirror image of his he knew. That in itself made it even more awkward for him than ever to talk to her, let alone stand near her. Shuyin easily saw as she turned to look at him the small glimmer of hope drown quickly in a sea of disappointment when her eyes clouded . It hurt. He detested disappointing people and he seemed to be doing that a lot these days. He knew he couldn't be who she wanted, just like how she couldn't be Lenne back when he was blinded by the overwhelming rage and sorrow he harbored a few months ago. Shuyin shuffled his feet a bit and looked away, back down towards the scene below and answered, "We came to warn you… Old Yevon is on the move again and seeks to resume history."

Yuna blinked in confusion. "…What are you talking about?" she asked and jumped when a slender hand suddenly descended on her shoulder. Yuna turned again, only this time it was Lenne standing just behind her.

"He wants to continue what he started all those years ago." Lenne stated sadly. "He lives within a self-righteous dream and believes his presence was the only thing protecting the world, not realizing he was actually destroying it."

"When you say 'Old Yevon', don't you mean Yu Yevon, do you?" When the ancient lovers nodded, Yuna grew fearful for the future.

"And that fool Guado gave him all he needed to recreate SIN and then some." Shuyin groused. "In his insanity, he tampered with the Core Sphere, of all things."

"The Farplane has destabilized and is falling apart," Lenne pointed at the horizon to the shrinking Core. "Without its main support, Spira will collapse on top of it very soon."

"The Fayth could not avert this coming calamity, now _everyone_ will suffer a fate beyond death. All life on Spira and the Farplane with cease to exist." Shuyin said this while looking at Lenne with eyes of love, worry, and frustration.

"The Aeons are still fighting SIN's reconstruction…"

"But it's a losing battle."

"Yevon's new SIN is raising…"

"And the Guado has become the new Final Aeon."

"The Fayth of Zanarkand have gathered…"

"And are casting the greatest and most forbidden of all magicks."

"They've chosen you… as their champion…"

"Gather your friends…" The two lovers said in unison, their voices blending. "Take up your weapons, harden you resolve, time is of the essence. The end is nigh, you have only one chance. The hands of the clock… will reverse… so all may walk forward…"

"What do you mean?! I don't understand!" Yuna stood as the world grew dark and silent, Lenne and Shuyin disappeared as quickly as they came. "Wait! Don't go yet!" Yuna called, but it was too late, she was alone now. "What do I do…?" she asked herself. She looked around for something, to give her a sign, but the only other living thing around were the flowers. "I need to get out of here." she said, wishing somebody would come to help.

A warm breeze blew around her, bringing with it a recognizable, odd scent mix of chlorine and brine. Arms, one clad in familiar gauntlet of leather and metal while the other was mostly bare and tanned bronze, wrapped around her while her back was pulled flush against a hard chest and a nose nuzzling softly into her hair. She was being held in a lover's embrace. Yuna blushed as a warm voice, identical to Shuyin's yet held a universe of love and devotion not for Lenne but for her, breathed into her ear, "Isn't this is better than whistling?"

"Tidus…" she stated rather than asked, feeling tears welling up.

She felt him nod then he said, "You have to wake up now, Yuna." The brunette shook her head and raised her arms, locking them firmly around his, reveling in the warmth of his body around her form. She felt him smile sadly into her hair. "You can't stay here, and I have to get back down there."

"I don't want to leave you." she said a her tears fell.

"I know," he said, and suddenly the ground disappeared from under her feet. "but the longer you stay here, the more time runs against you." Yuna cried harder when she felt once more that awful feeling of his body become an intangible shadow against hers. "You have to walk the Pilgrimage Road again Yuna, to get the Aeons. Be quick."

White began to invade and rapidly overtake the dark. Yuna could feel the waking world pull her away. "Noooo!" she yelled, trying to resist.

And before the white light could completely take her over, Yuna heard Tidus' voice whispered to her one last time, "_…We'll see each other again… in the past…_"

++Dream End++

Yuna's eyes slid open, tears cascading from them. Her magical senses were then suddenly bombarded by a familiar feeling of energy given off only when someone was summoning. Only this feeling was not the chaste, heartening power of a normal Summoning, but was badly soiled and stifling. Yuna sat up and slid out of bed, worry and dread raking through her being to the core, and summoned her Gunner Dresssphere. The brunette pulled out her traveling pack and stated just stuffing a few changes of clothes and other necessities into it. She didn't bother wasting time on cleaning up her tent. Walking outside, she set her pack next to he hut and raced to the temple. SIN was coming, and she needed her Aeons again.

What Yuna hadn't realized was that she was not the only individual to feel the summoning.

oO0Oo

* * *

Only a day's boat ride away from Besaid, Dona of Kilika rose from sleep almost involuntarily. The dark haired, tanned skinned beauty looked around her shared bedroom with her ex-Guardian and fiancé, Barthello, warily. Something in the felt wrong, like something defiling the natural flow of nature around her. A sense of foreboding assaulted her.

Dona looked out her window towards the sunrise and tilted her head in curious concern. Somehow the sun didn't look as bright as it should be this morning. Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Dona stretched out her senses as far as she could until she touched something and immediately recoiled, physically shrinking back into the headboard of her bed in revulsion. Barthello instantly waking at the sudden distressed movement.

Summoning energy. _Tainted _Summoning energy was infused with the traveling air currents from the far north. Dona wanted to gag at the wretched feeling. She stood from her bed, the ominous feeling never leaving her, as she dressed herself in her old Summoner's outfit. She had a sudden and unexplainable urge to visit the temple, after she paid a quick visit to Kilika's Youth League base.

oO0Oo

* * *

Within the tranquil planes of the Calm Lands, nestled against the craggy wall that divided the grassy planes of the western lands from the mountainous eastern side that hid the forgotten Remiem Temple, was a newly built inn. It was the new Calm Land Branch of Rin's Travel Agencies. It was bigger than most of the other branches were since most vacationing tourists and travelers came through when the Eternal Calm began, it was only a few steps away from Clasko's Chocobo Ranch, a ten minute Hover ride to the Argent Inc./Open Air gaming (read: gambling) booths were, and a twenty minute ride away from the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth Tour.

The Innkeeper was once himself a Summoner long ago, Father Zuke, now-a-days just Zuke to most. He had come to the Lands to live in peace and quiet, but somehow found himself attached to a pair of ever squabbling Al-Bhed siblings who lived and worked in the Calm Lands for Rin since the final years of Old Yevon, serving as the shop as attendances of the former Agency.

Zuke was contently humming a nonsensical tune as he wiped down the bar, readying the inn to opening for the day, when a sudden familiar jolt, many years honed to sense nearby danger, darted up his spine. The bald New Yevonite turned and looked around the shop. Seeing nothing amiss he dropped his rag on the bar top and stepped outside into the crisp morning air, ignoring the questioning looks the Al-Bhed brother and sister's sent him, searching for the source of whatever sparked his dormant fighter's instincts.

Power. Vast amounts of power found only during a Summoning of substantial magnitude. The power, however, was polluted and twisted. Zuke turned towards Gagazet, and looked beyond the awe inspiring mountains to the unseen Sacred City of the Dead, Zanarkand, where the still dark sky seemed to reject the light of the morning sun.

oO0Oo

* * *

Nhalia Ronso sat patiently at the mouth of a cave that served as her and Elder Kimahri's home and the tribe's shrine, similar to how the temples of the Aeons were the homes of the priests and priestess' of Yevon, a small gathering of other Ronso tribesmen and women shuffling around in front of her in anxious wait, occasionally asking whispered questions and conversing quietly amongst each other. Earlier in the night an ominous dark aura seemed to have settled over Gagazet, waking almost every Ronso and making the mountain abnormally fearful and silent, refusing to speak to even the most faithful of its children. The diligent female Ronso had been loyal and supportive of Kimahri, standing by his side before and after the near rebellion Garik Ronso tried to orchestrate, and mated with him just weeks later. Then, only two months after, her belly had started growing with the weight of their first litter of cubs.

Leaning into the expecting female's sides were two half dozing youngling brothers, Lian and Ayde. "When Elder come out and speak to Ronso of what mountain have to say?" Ayde asked around a yawn.

Nhalia looked down at the cub and patted his head. "Soon, cub. Sacred mountain troubled, so Elder must sooth mountain before it tell him its worries."

"Something bad happen again?" Lian asked with a dark frown, remembering the day Seymour Guado attacked the mountain, brutally killing his and Adye's parents, as well as the near war Garik tried to instigate against the Guado. His fur stood on end at the thoughts.

The older female wrapped her arms around both cubs and answered, "Nhalia not know, but Elder Kimahri is strong, wise leader. Kimahri love sacred mountain most, so mountain talk to Kimahri more than other Ronso. Kimahri find answer." Nhalia reassured them with more confidence she wasn't feeling. She glance worriedly down at her growing belly and hoped that whatever was happening would end well and without tragedy.

Off to the left stood a young, strapping Ronso just several years out of his cubhood named Garik. He stood in the snowy grounds with crossed arms and an impatient scowl. While he no longer contested Kimahri's role as Ronso Leader, there were still times where he thought the smaller, older leonine-humanoid wasn't doing his job properly or swiftly enough. But Kimahri was the Elder as was more worldly knowing, both in battle and in wisdom, than he was, and the mountain favored the shorter Ronso more than any other, so he would keep his peace. He just wished he knew what was going on! Lately strange things were going amiss, and he had a feeling there was going to be a battle very soon.

oO0Oo

* * *

(( Some Hour Latter On Besaid ))

Shinra sat up in his cot aboard the Celsius as the tropical morning sun beamed in on him through the window of his port side quarters, warming his room. He yawned widely as he ruffled his shaggy blond hair out of the wild cowlicks sleep had styled it into. He rubbed sand out of his Al-Bhed patented swirling green eyes before rolling out of bed. He stretched his arms above his head, sighing in satisfaction when his slightly sleep stiffened bones popped and his body loosened, as he went to start his usual morning routines; a quick shower, brush his teeth, comb his hair.

Within half an hour's time he was cleaned and just about ready to start the day. He walked down the corridors of the roguish airship to the cabin, tiredly scratching the back of his head, preferring to actually to leave down his customary mask this morning, to where he knew Barkeep was already up with his recently appointed bar assistant and mate, Darling, wondering what they were throwing together for breakfast. He passed but his shipmate's quarters, the silence of the hall broken by the sound of his footfalls and the muffled sound of running water from Brother's room and snoring loud enough to match sawing logs from Brother's. The automatic door to the cabin whooshed open just before he reached it and closed a second after he cleared it. The sound and smell of hissing batter of flapjacks, sizzling sausage and bacon, fried eggs and other breakfast foods mixed with freshly brewed coffee and tea greeted him, tantalizing his nose and ears, promising him a delicious first day's meal and a full belly. Belatedly he noted silence from Paine's bed and muffled sleep talking from Rikku's on the upstairs loft of the cabin, and knew the older of the two friends was in the shower.

"Goood moorning, Mishta Shinraa." Darling greeted the small Al-Bhed boy.

"What can wee get yoo?" Barkeep asked.

"Morning, Darling, Barkeep. I'll take my usual breakfast to-go please."

"Cooming up!" the male Hypello drawled as he turned to finish cooking. He served out a small stack of three flapjacks with a side of bacon, eggs, and sliced fruit to his mate while Darling laid out the loaded dishes of food on a tray and poured some fresh squeezed orange juice for the boy in a tall glass and some milk in a shorter one.

Shinra glared scornfully at the milk, he hated milk! Darling always thought it necessary to gave him a glass of the cold white liquid every morning, much to the youth's disdain. The female Hypello shot him a pointed look, her two sets of eyelids narrowed as maternal expectation reflected in her bulbous yellow eyes. She knew he didn't like milk, but she also knew he was a growing boy who wouldn't be very tall if he didn't get at least one cup a day. That said, the female Hypello nudged the milk glass closer to him with one thick blue finger and pulled the tray of food back towards her with another, silently, blatantly telling the young genius to drink it or get no breakfast. Shinra grunted in defeat, as always, and he picked up the cup, glared at it's bland contents, know full well Darling wouldn't let him go unless he drank it, and gulped it down so fast his taste buds barely registered it flowing down his throat. The small blond stuck his tongue out childishly and fake gagged to show how revolting he thought milk was.

Darling nodded in satisfaction. "Very goood, Mishta Shinraa." she praised as she took back to cup and placed it in the sink to wash latter. "Take yoor breakfasht, yesh?"

Shinra nodded as he took his food and left, making his way up to the bridge, idly snacking on his bacon as he went. When he made it to the bridge, he made a beeline for his computer station. He dug into his flapjacks with one hand after he settled down into his oversized chair and let his ungloved fingers fly over the keys on the keyboard with the other, bringing his computer out of stand-by mode, and waited.

When his computer finally came on-line the bridge was immediately filled with the sound of beeping. Shinra raised an eyebrow curiously as the Missed Call alarm sounded before he keyed in the access code to playback the recorded message.

Shhkkshh, the recording crackled to life.

"…_Can anyone here me?! Please it's an emergency!! …Danm it all! If anyone is listening to this, this is Isaaru at the Zanarkand Dome! -_shkksh_- I don't know how he did it or why, but somehow Seymour Guado has become the Fayth of the Final Aeon. -_shhksh_- I can feel it, a dark summoning is happening even now as I speak! It is slow but it is happening! -_Shkshkshhh_- The Pyreflies are all gone and the fiends have practically multiplied over night! -_kerkshhh_- Please come or send help, because… I feel something terrible is about to happen…."_

Shhkkshh, the recording crackled one last time before the message ended.

Shinra sat at his station, his blood frozen in his veins, almost uncomprehending. Shinra shook his head vigorously before reaching over and to a small red button and slamming his fist down on it, setting off the ship's alarm.

Both inside and outside the Celsius, a long, loud whining suddenly blared and shattered the peaceful island morning. All Gullwings members and even the villagers further away either stopped what they were doing or were suddenly ousted from their sleep. Shinra turned off the alarm after a full two minutes and waited. A few moments later, the bridge door swept open with a hiss and the Gullwings were practically tumbling in, most of them was looking downright murderously at the ten year-old.

"SHINRA!" Brother screeched, "FRYD IC DRA SAYHEHK OV DREC!! E FYC CMAABEHK!!"

"Yeah, that was a real poopy thing to do!" Rikku admonished

Buddy fixed his haphazardly tilted goggles before adding in a much calmer tone, "What's the big idea, sounding the alarm like that?" He seriously hoped there was a real emergency and not some practical joke or else they'd have some stern words for the boy. Then he really looked at Shinra and was surprised to see the boy's masked hood was down, showing all the world inside the ship what he looked like. "Shinra?"

Shinra frowned at his comrades somberly and said, "We've got major problems, but I want to wait for Yuna before I tell you. She should be on her way after hearing the alarm."

"… You don't need to wait for me, I'm already here."

Everyone turned around to see Yuna walking through the hall to the bridge. Flanking her was a grumbling, groggy Wakka and an irritated looking Lulu holding a sniffling Vidina.

"Yunie, Lulu, Wakka," Rikku looked her cousin, who wore a grim face that reminded the blond of the time three years ago at the Zanarkand Ruins, just before she went to retrieve the Final Aeon. "…What's wrong?"

"Dats what we'd like to know, ya?" Wakka yawned, one arm holding a traveling pack full of his and his family's clothes and traveling essentials while carefully tucked under his other arm were their Celestial Weapons; his World Champion Blitzball and Lulu's Onion Knight voodoo doll.

Yuna glanced at Wakka and Rikku, then looked at Brother. "Please start the Celsius, Brother, we're leaving."

Everyone blinked at Yuna, a little surprise and more than a little confused by the authoritative tone of her voice. "Yuna," Paine began, "what's wrong?"

"Everything," she answered, "I- The Fayth contacted me… they said I needed to take my Pilgrimage again and receive the Aeons again." Everyone's eyes widened at the announcement.

"But why?!" Rikku yelled.

"Yevon and Seymour was not as defeated as we thought…"

Shinra nodded. "…It fits," he muttered, gaining everyone's attention.

"What do you mean, 'it fit'?" Lulu asked.

The little blond whiz kid turned and sat back down in his chair and typed at his computer. "Just a few minutes ago I was listening to a recorded missed call from Isaaru in Zanarkand and he had reported some very disturbing news. I'll play it back for you." he then pressed play. The group listened intently with growing alarm as Isaaru's distressed voice pleaded for help and revealed the dangerous happenings in Zanarkand.

When the message ended, the group stood in shocked silence. As the impending ramifications of Seymour's action set in, Wakka broke the silence by cursing the ex-Measter Guado. "Why that no good- argghh! What does that silver tongued, backstabbin' snake think he's doin'?! Is he tryin' to destroy the Eternal Calm?!"

"Wakka, settle down," the former Blitzball player's wife said, bouncing Vidina attentively in her arms. "We can not afford to lose our heads now… and you are upsetting Vidina."

"But Lu-"

Lulu gave Wakka a sharp demonic eyed look that promised great violence and drawn out pain against him in the very near future. At the familiar look, the carrot-topped man shrank back and grudgingly became docile. Lulu nodded in satisfaction at the submission. "We need to move. The longer we dally the more time Seymour and Yevon has to bring SIN back into Spira and the less Yuna has to retrieve the Aeons."

Yuna nodded. "I've already received Valefor, so we can leave to the other temples any time now."

"Okay!" Brother suddenly shouted, striking an nervous pose, making everyone who wasn't used to him start, "As leader, I say we fly through Spira," he flapped his arms like and deranged Chocobo, "and get Aeons!" he repeated Yuna's earlier statement as if it was his idea, then sprinted over to the pilot's seat, a set of keys jingling in his hand, and began the start-up for the Celsius. "Gullwings- er, and not Gullwings - we have mission! We save Spira, again! Du oui cdydeuhc!" he unnecessarily ordered, revving the ships engines.

"Right, right!" Buddy said, jogging to the navigator's seat.

Wakka leaned over to Rikku and whispered, "Is Bradda always like that?"

Rikku sighed in exasperation and said, "Yeah, but you learn to ignore him." she spoke from experience before walking almost tensely over to her post. Yuna, Paine, Wakka, and Lulu with Vidina went to the observation deck.

Buddy announced, "Setting course for the temples. …We're all smooth sailing from here to Kilika."

The Celsius' engines roared as the propulsion/ thrusters at the rear of the ship discharged blue flames. Brother eased the ship high into the air expertly, shouting, "GULLWINGS! VIMM CBAAT YRAYT!" then gunned the engines, sending the red airship rocketing off towards their next destination, Kilika island.


	6. End of the Saved World pt1

**Title**: Danse Macabre Undone

**Author**: Gatecrasher12

**Word Count**: 8404

**Genre**: Action/Romance/Drama/General

**Game**: Final Fantasy 10-2

**Published Date**: 6-7-10

**Author's Note**: My it's been a while! Sorry for the slow update, but I had a case of the dreaded writer's block syndrome. But I got over it well enough after watching a certain new 'end-of-the-world' movie called _**2012**_, good movie that one too. I recommend watching it if you haven't seen it, it got me thinking and I finally managed to squeeze out some writing mojo. LOL! Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

oO0Oo

Chapter Six: End for The Saved World

oO0Oo

'_It's me again… -sigh- Why? Why is it when we finally managed to obtain peace after so long, something must happen to ruin it? Why can't people like Seymour ever be content with peace and lay quietly in their graves. What does he get out of tormenting the living this way? I can't understand him, and I don't think I ever will.'_

The port town of Kilika Island was as warm and welcoming as it ever was since its reconstruction. The Youth League and New Yevon no longer divided the island between themselves and now shared the isle peacefully. The rambunctious younger children of the small islet were at play, getting into all forms of innocent and not-so-innocent mischief, while the older ones were busy learning the trade of their parents or caring for their siblings. The younger adults worked the day away in their respective crafts; fishing, cloth weaving, building, or making and selling marketable merchandise. The older, less hardy elderly spent their time reminiscing about the 'good old days' of their youth, weaving stories of adventure and fantasy for the imaginative youths who would listen, gossiping and complaining about 'kids these days' or their families and neighbors were up to among friends, or making use of their retirement by simply relaxing. It was nearing noon and the island natives were at their busiest handling the many visiting tourists roaming around the island. The already bustling community had grown in the last few months, experiencing its first baby boom in many centuries and having a horde of off-landers move in, and was well on its way to becoming a small harbor town of a little more than one hundred rather than a tiny port village of a two dozen. Kilika was beginning to grow so large in fact that the village leader commissioned contractors to build more new lodgings and a schoolhouse along the sandy beaches and further inland toward the jungle to accommodate the multiplying masses, the small inn was to be renovated into a larger one for traveler, new shops lined the port market, and even a new tavern was built for dock workers and landed sailors. There were even two ships specially built to cater to up to one hundred tourist traveling between Besaid, Kilika, and Luca as part of a vacation cruise. Kilika was beginning to look more and more like a budding island resort with each passing week than ever.

Wakka walked around the small port taking in its colorful and happy atmosphere with a melancholy expression, Lulu at his side, Vidina was left on the Celsius in Buddy's care, with the Gullwings walked ahead of them, making their way to the temple hastily while trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible. All around he could see, hear, and practically feel the merriment of the people in the warm tropical air as they went about their daily business. He sighed, "Why does he wanna ruin dis?" he asked, watching a small group of children playing Blitzball and other water games in the shallows of the island beach waters. "I mean, we got an Eternal Calm, ya, and everyone's finally happy, so wha's the point of it?" he hissed petulantly.

Lulu looked to her husband and shook her head. "Seymour is a being of selfish lust. He wants nothing more than the ultimate power in his grasp. Even though he is dead I have no doubt it, he will to destroy the happiness and futures of countless innocent people to get it."

"It's jus' not fair. We put our blood, sweat, an' tears into da Eternal Calm and for what? All our hard work is gonna be blown outta da water any day now!" He hissed lowly as his son's face then came to mind. The new born babe was not even half a year old and the happy future he had planned for his baby boy was all but shot to hell. "…I wanted Vidina to grow up wit'out da shadow of SIN hang'en over him like we did."

Yuna nodded sadly and said, "That's why we must move fast to try to contain the problem before it gets too big." Then she thought to herself, '_And if what Shuyin and Lenne said was true, the damage may already be too extensive to really save anything._'

The group of ex-Guardians and Sphere Hunters were now just passing through the village gates and into Kilika forest. Yuna, who was leading the group, had noticed the suspiciously extra guards from both the Youth League and New Yevon positioned on the road, looking as if ready to stop anyone's advance through the wild jungle. As they entered the jungle it was decided they would take the rarely used and unknown shortcut through the treetops. The group bypassed the guards and the fiend infested roads and trails as, traversing the tropical forest faster, cutting the half-hour hike in almost half. Yuna then looked down at the path and saw a group of civilians and fresh looking temple acolytes flanked by armed rangers and strikers from the Youth League and New Yevon being escorted to town and mentally had to wonder, '_What's going on?_'

"I met that half Guado once," Paine suddenly began, he fist clenched, everyone looked at the stoic warrior.

"You did, when?" Rikku turned, skillfully walking backwards on a tree branch as she looked at the older woman.

Pain blinked slowly. "It was before that terrible first mission with the Crimson Squad at Mushroom Rock Road. Whenever he spoke to us, his words made him come off as this grand loving and inspiring leader, but I didn't trust him. It was the way he looked at everyone, like we were all his band of insignificant playthings, like we were replaceable dolls made for his amusement."

Lulu agreed with the sword mistress. "His natural charisma made it easy for him to mislead and control the unsuspecting or weak willed." she added, thinking of the former Measters of Old Yevon and the Guado race. She then looked ahead disapprovingly at the young Al-Bhed of the group, "And Rikku, turn around before you fall and break something." she admonished. The blond teen immediately obeyed, and not a moment too soon as the shortcut suddenly dropped off over a landing of the stairway, somewhere halfway up to the temple.

Jumping down, the group of five quickly hiked their way up the remaining flights of stairs. They made it to the temple several minutes later. The sacred House of Ifrit had long been repaired and purified after the fiend invasion and the hallowed beast's possession. …However, at current, the temple looked more like a small fortress as it was unusually littered with a score of defenders and soldiers from both Youth League and New Yevon each, all of which were armed with swords and guns alike. The two factions weren't fighting each other as they were prior, nor did they seem hostile towards one another, but they did appear rather restless and anxious. It almost seemed as if they were expecting to fight a battle.

There was a small army of Machina Rangers and Soldiers were standing side by side in mostly erect positions in stand-by mode along the temple's perimeter along with four large Mech weapons, two YAC-13's were floating stationary between two League Troopers and a Yevon Guard each at the top of the stairs while a YAU-28 and a YSLS-99 alongside League Warriors and Yevon's Finest flamethrowers were guarding the temple's door. There were very few civilians around, all were evacuated to the town, and the ones who were present were the temple attendants collecting and stowing away important scrolls, tomes, and such for safe keeping or important members of Kilika's growing government; the village's leader, council members, and sheriff.

Looking at the scene left Yuna with a sinking feeling. Steeling herself, the resumed Summoner walked forward into the temple square and stopped a passing by female senior acolyte with a slight tug to her sleeve. "Excuse, what's happening here?"

The aspiring priestess stop to look at Yuna. Upon recognizing the brunette as the High Summoner, she gave the retired Sphere Hunter the traditional Prayer Bow before answering, "M'lady, I am not very sure what is happening, but just a few hours ago, Lady Dona came up to the temple with a group of Youth League members. She demanded an audience with the head priest and just an hour or so ago the temple defenders and the League members began to barricade this sanctuary."

Yuna looked at the machina and hummed thoughtfully. "Hmmm, where is Lady Dona now?"

"In the temple, my Lady. I believe she and Sir Barthello have entered the Cloister of Trials."

Yuna nodded in gratitude. "Thank you." She bowed before continuing on her way towards the temple, the others trailing quickly behind her.

The group was just making their way inside the house of worship when a sudden, low rumbling echoed through the air that was quickly followed by the ground beginning to shake violently. Off in the jungle below, flocks of exotic and colorful birds rose high into the air in fright. Along the beaches larger than normal waves, almost the size of storm waves, were crashing sporadically on the shores and village. The very ground beneath their feet quaked for several long moments as small cracks, some several yards long and some only a few feet long and just as deep or deeper, were appearing all over the island as if the it was being stretched thin and beginning to rip in half.

"What's going on!" Rikku cried out over the thunderous rumbling before she lost her balance and fell backwards into Paine's arms as Wakka grabbed onto both Yuna and Lulu. The group and everyone else at the temple were either screaming in fear and confusion or dropping down close to the ground to keep themselves from falling over like the stationary YAU-28 and the YSLS-99. When the shaking finally stopped, the group slowly stood, wearily looking around. "…What was THAT?"

"Earthquake…" Paine answered simply.

"Is it normal for Kilika to have earthquakes?" Paine gave the blond such a glare that it told everyone who noticed she thought Rikku must have been some kind of airhead for asking a question with such an obvious answer. Geologically, Kilika, being too far south, was nowhere near a strong enough fault line to cause a quake like that. Rikku was subdued by the look and muttered, "Okay, okay, stupid question…"

"Lets go, everyone," Yuna said as took off in a light jog into the temple, "we have to move."

'_I can feel it… the atmosphere around temple of the Ifrit feel polluted … and it's getting stronger. I can only guess the other temples are also permeating with an evil aura. They are the closest direct link to the Farplane outside Guadosalam after all. _

_Also, that earthquake wasn't normal… the world, Spira, I have a bad feeling that it's about to start collapsing. Whatever the Fayth are doing, I hope they do it soon before it's too late. _'

"Wait for us, Yuna!" Wakka called as he took Lulu's hands and pulled her along, Rikku and Paine following close behind.

oO0Oo

* * *

Barthello looked down at Dona's unconscious and feverish form, cradling her close to his mostly chest as he made a near mad dash back through the Cloister of Trials. He was just stepping off the stone lift when he nearly ran headlong into the Gullwings, of all people, and two of Yuna's former Guardians, the Black Mage Lulu and the retired Blitzer Wakka.

"Lady Yuna!" he exclaimed as she gasped at the sight of Dona's prone body.

"Barthello, what happened?" Rikku asked as Paine came forward to examine Dona, Yuna at her side.

The usually passionate gentle giant of a human man looked so downtrodden and miserable it wrenched at one's heart. "I don't know," He started, "we had come because Dona had sensed a foul presence in the air and wished to try to consult the Fayth. I just was waiting for Dona outside the Camber of The Fayth when she come out and collapsed." Barthello's breath hitched in a suspiciously sobbing way. "This has never happened before… Dona…DONA! WAKE UP!" he suddenly bellowed painfully loud with worry.

Almost as if answering the man the heavily tanned woman began to thrash, mutter and mumble disjointedly rapidly. Barthello held his love more firmly so he wild bucking would not force him to drop her. Words such as 'Core', 'War', 'Collapsing', 'Fading', 'Time', and 'Extinction' where some of the few words the group managed to catch before she began to scream as a wretched nightmare trapped her mind within its horrors.

"DONA, WHAT'S HAPPENING TO YOU? PLEASE WAKE UP!"

"She's going into shock and becoming delirious! Quick, Yuna, cast Esuna on her!" Paine practically ordered, knowing the ex-Summoner's White Magic far exceeded anyone else's in the group.

"Right!" The brunette nodded as she pressed a glowing white hand to Dona's damp forehead. The white healing glow of Esuna spread from Yuna into Dona, enveloping the other ex-Summoner's body with a gentle cool-warm breeze and a soothing light before sinking into Dona's body. The dark skinned woman calmed almost instantly, the plagued dreams and fever fading under Esuna's all ailment healing light, causing everyone to release the held breaths they had not realized they had.

"We need to get her to a room. She needs to rest." Lulu stated. "Yuna, Rikku, Paine, you three go on ahead. Wakka and I will stay behind to help Dana."

'_I hope Dona will be alright._' Yuna nodded before she, Rikku and Paine stepped determinedly onto the lift. "Careful down d'here, ya? We'll be here if you need us!" he called as the life began to descend.

"Just leave it to us!" came Rikku's replay, waving her arms as they disappeared from sight into the Trials.

oO0Oo

* * *

Kimahri's golden eyes shot open as he moved from his meditating seat. The mountain, after nearly three hours of near silence, all the noise the mountain seemed able too make were pathetic moans and occasionally suffered whimpers, and no answers finally spoke the words he needed to hear. Instead of speaking in its normally feminine, but strong, gravelly resounds of a hundred voices whispering, it sounded alarmingly sickly and raspy as if it was not used to talking at all._**'Spira. Chaos. Crumbling. Falling. Death'**_it had said before it croaked in an even smaller whisper so low Kimahri nearly missed it: _**'Halfling. SIN. Yevon. Aeon. Fayth. Summoner. Time'**_before it went silent again. Despite the one word sentences, Kimahri was able to decipher the meaning behind most of them instantly.

Dark times were ahead and growing near.

The blue man-lion stood quickly in alarm, picking up his celestial weapon and griping it tightly, his usually stoic face pulling down taut in a grim frown and narrow eyes. Kimahri quickly exited him home, which was a cave that sat on an elevated plateau with wide stairs than immediately drawing every waiting Ronso eye. He gave his village and the people who lived in it a slow sweep, looking at everything around him, several simply made large huts of stone, Macalanian Ever-pine wood, and fiend pelts and cave homes, the large fire pit at the center of the village like in Besaid, the great statues of ancient Elders and smaller statues of great and honorable warriors of old that were carved directly into the stone walls protecting the village, and the only two paths in and out of the village, one heading down to the mountain gates and the other leading up to the hot springs.

"…Kimahri?" The short, broken horned Ronso turned to see his mate, Nhalia, standing up awkwardly from her seat and make her way towards him, Lian and Ayde trailing close behind.

All the Ronso once again gave him their attention, but instead of patient wondering, they now looked at him in distressed anxiety. Kimahri squared his shoulders and looked at his people with a set jaw and grave eyes before speaking, "Ronso brothers and sisters, Kimahri speak to mountain, mountain finally answer back. Mountain tell Kimahri of grave danger, tell of Ronso Bane. Guado Betrayer refuses eternal rest, hurt Spira from Farplane. Dark Guado halfling try to bring back SIN, try to destroy all life on Spira. Sacred Gagazet part of Spira, Spira's pain, mountain's pain. Mountain's pain, Ronso's pain." he told them. Many of the youths' hearts stirred with fiery hatred at the mere mention of Seymour and his still undying ambition. An outcry of all the Ronso voices rose up as one cohesive illegible sound and echoed off the stone faces surrounding them Kimahri, hearing his peoples' yelling words and having enough of it, raised a clawed hand and silence settled over the Ronso. "Kimahri hear Ronso words, Ronso defend sacred home when time comes! Fayth and Aeons fight in Farplane, Ronso and Summoners will fight too!" he pronounced.

Loud roars from the mostly young and thinned race resounded as the thought of battling a thought long gone foe set their blood to boil, many of them with the once receding desire for attaining some form of vengeance rallied now that it finally seemed come back within reach. Kimahri looked at his people with mixed emotions. He and his people had been on the road to recovery, learning to let go of their hatred of the Guado, only to fall back into the temptation and longing to spill enemy blood. The only difference was that instead of going into all out war with the whole race of equally small numbers, they were focusing their destructive intent on the one who actually preformed the massacre three years ago. The one who was endangering the world again.

He barely took a step away from his door, closer to his people and opened his mouth to address his tribe again when the mountain suddenly gave a booming, screeching wail. All the Ronso on or near the mountain, whether they were able to hear the spirit of their home or not before, all could hear it now with perfect clarity. The horrid sound of agony made them try block their sensitive ears as they were sent many to their knees and cry out their own pain.

The mountain then suddenly strong jolt.

Animals and fiends alike that lived on the peaks of Gagazet were suddenly driven by their instincts of flight and abandoned their dens and boroughs, seeking shelter elsewhere as they caved in. There was a great rumbling as the rocky earth split and tore as the ground shifted, sinking and rising in some places, and opening in wide fissures and chasms all over the mountain and from those chasms came sudden bursts of hot steam and searing geysers of sulfur enriched water. Boulders the size of Hovers rolled down the crag in a random tumble, bringing with them a wave of heavy snow powerful enough to crush anything caught by it. The path of crossing bridges of snow covered rock high above broke and fell apart. Unbeknownst to all for the time being, the flouting ruins that sat atop the snow capped mountain had not been spared as its anchor below it shook, the looser stone gave way and broke off and was now strewed and littered across the higher ridges like parts of a felled castle of toy blocks. The higher foothills where the Ronso lived were left mostly unharmed save for a few large cracks in the ground, a few small rocks and heaps of snow that had been knocked off the wall of the higher hills, and many delicate or unfastened objects that had fallen on the ground. One of the cave homes of the small village looked a little collapsed, but not to the point of being uninhabitable, and three of the huts had fallen over or were in need of new roofs as the rubble and snow had landed on them.

Several Ronso whom had fallen over were slowly raising to their feet warily as mother clutched their cubs close protectively. Kimahri used his Spirit Lance, he had not let it go, to help him stand. The mountain's tortured screams had died down to pained, shuttering whimpers. Kimahri's normally rigid form drooped as his heart wretched and twisted helplessly, wishing he could somehow sooth the spirit of his home, to take away its pain, as he was forced to listen and look upon the proud stone of Gagazet. If someone were to personify the mountain's appearance, they would say it was like seeing a proud woman-mother after enduring a severe whipping by a cruel hand.

Kimahri slowly stood, helping Nhalia, Lian and Ayde up along, having instinctively thrown himself over the three in an effort to protect them against anything that fell atop them with his own body.

"Elder hurt?" Lian asked, concerned. Ayde silently eyed his leader critically, looking for injuries.

The Elder Ronso was busily attending to Nhalia and their unborn young as he answered, "Kimahri unharmed.

"… Elder!" came a nearly drowned out yell.

Kimahri's ear flicked to the right, hearing his title being called over the low din of his kin, before turning in that direction. Near the back of the slowly quieting and parting crowd came a hulking, distressed looking male. From the way he dressed and by the long bow and battle axe strapped to his back and hip, Kimahri knew he was one of the Rangers who periodically patrolled the mountain paths and kept the Fiend population at a minimum. It was strange, however, that instead of entering the village from the trail, he appeared before everyone by way of Teleport Pad. Ronso Rangers were dedicated warriors and worked meticulously when they patrolled the tails and paths with admirable dogging diligence, only using the Pads when in haste back to the village during emergencies. What's more, he had in his arms a large lumpy something bundled up in a thick brown sleeping blanket and a small cream and brown colored monkey native to the area around the Zanarkand Ruins wrapped around his neck, clutching his short blue body fur and crooning lowly down at the brown bundle.

"Ranger Corrik…" Kimahri greeted. He made it a point to know the names of all his people after being made Elder. "What do you carry in your arms?"

Corrik jogged right up the Elder and laid his burden out at Kimahri's feet. "Corrik was out on patrol through cave paths when I found little human hurt, attacked by fiends." he explained in a gruff voice all Ronso males had, before pulling back the folds of the blanket, revealing a face Kimahri had met all of three times but memorized none the less.

"Summoner Isaaru…" The Elder Ronso kneeled down to examine the injured human, he was in poor shape, sporting many bruises and several deep cuts. He breathing was markedly shallow and short, he may have broken ribs and who knows what else. Kimahri turned and called out to his mate, "Quickly, Nhalia! You know White Magic Arts, he is in need of healing." Nhalia hastily waddled over as fast as her bulging belly would allow, helped by the brothers Lian and Ayde, and kneeled down to examine her newest patient.

"Summoner spoke to Corrik before passing out," the ranger continued, "Says he has seen Bane of Ronso revive to become Fayth for Final Aeon."

Kimahri's head snapped up to stare at Corrik's face, looking for any deceit or uncertainties but only seeing truth and sureness. The smaller, older Ronso snarled fiercely before standing. "Kimahri must speak to Yuna, must warn her." he said as flatly as possible. He turned to the children hovering at Nhalia's sides, "Lian, Ayde, find CommSphere at the Gates and bring it to Kimahri." he told the two children who quickly dashed off.

"Nhalia can help little human Summoner," she stated, standing with Kimahri's assistance. "But we must bring him inside. Cold mountain air not good for frail human body, only makes him sick worse."

Corrik picked up Isaaru as Nhalia led him to the her and the Elder's home. Kimahri stayed behind to wait for Lian and Ayde to return and to rally his people for a battle that would no doubt come soon.

oO0Oo

* * *

The Celsius' engines rumbled with loud ferocity over the soft sounds of splashing water as it flew over the shimmering ocean waves at high speed, leaving a long tail of dazzling blue flames dancing in mid-air in its wake. It was well into the afternoon, almost evening actually as the sun began its slow fall into retirement for the day, the bright blue sky began to slowly darken to blue-violet while the horizon showed first signs of coloring yellow-orange as orange, pink, and violet lightly tinged the white clouds. The lapping, clapping sea below sparkled and gleamed as its spraying waves mimicked darker adaptations of the heavenly colors above it. The evening was boasting potential for a very picturesque tropical sunset that nobody aboard the flying ship paid any heed to.

The interior held a solemn air about it, the crew and its passengers were all mostly silent, preferring not to break the hush as they went over their new knowledge of current happenings. Their successful trip to Kilika Temple was bittersweet at best. Yuna had received Ifrit almost immediately with no problems. The Fayth of the fiery beast, however, had sent her off with instructions to hurry in all haste to Zanarkand and to stop for nothing but the temples. He had explained that Seymour had been successful in becoming the new Final Aeon, and by proxy, SIN's dark Fayth. When questioned how he was able to accomplish the feat, Ifrit informed her that a second party, namely Yunalesca, had helped. While dead, not all of Yunalesca's talents in the Summoning Arts and Fayth/Aeon creation were yet to be beyond her power, however, he and his brethren had managed to interfere with the actual resurrection and Summoning of the beast, slowing it down and giving her precious little more time to prepare and reach Zanarkand.

With this knowledge churning in mind, Yuna found herself sitting at the cabin bar between Paine and Wakka sipping some fruity non-alcoholic concoction of Darling's while Lulu and Rikku sat at one of the tables doing their best at distracting a restless Vidina. The infant child amazingly seemed to have picked up on the heavy atmosphere around him and it was making him irritable. A new recently cultivated genre of laid-back music Buddy had taken a liking to called the Blues filter through the air from the stereo, offsetting the room's occupants' silence, as the lights had been dimmed down, making the neon colored lights that decorated the room seem brighter, the sunset outside more pronounced, and the room in general mellow.

The older man was swirling a small glass of some kind of strong orange-brown colored cocktail that Barkeep made for him in a brooding manner, drinking very little of it. He had the urge to drink himself into a stupor, but resisted with his wife and son in such close proximity. For Wakka, too many things had been going wrong too fast with the world lately and his vision of a happy family living a happy life had been ground down to fine powder and blown away like dust in the wind. Paine forced her mind to focus most of her attention on reading a newly released mystery-thriller book that had been published earlier in the year; most written texts before the Eternal Calm had been of the teachings and/or history of Yevon (according to the more uptight Yevonite priests and nuns, the fictional written works were nothing but wasteful fairy-tales that were too unrealistic, most having nothing to do with Yevon or SIN, and reading too many squandered peoples' time frivolously when they could be praying at the temples).

The near silence was suddenly broken when the ship suddenly shook with a case of air turbulence. Barkeep and Darling jumped faster than anyone had ever seen the Hypello couple move to the wall behind the bar where the bottles of liquor were stored, trying to save them from shaking off the shelves and shattering on the floor. The humans in the Cabin cried out in surprise, Vidina crying the loudest in fear. When the Celsius settled the ship's intercom sounded and Buddy's disembodied voice floated into the room. BEEP "Uh… sorry about that guys, that was Brother… we're coming over Luca now… You might want to come to the Bridge and see this."

There was then the sound of wrestling, follow immediately by Buddy's protesting and Brother's shrieking voice, "IT'S DISASTERIFFIC! GULLWINGS, NABUND XIELGLO!" BEEP!

The group of five looked at each other and wasted no more time as they stood up and hurriedly left the Cabin. The five made their way to the Bridge in record time. "What's wrong?" Yuna asked as she noticed Buddy had ousted Brother from the pilot's seat and had set the flying vessel on autopilot. The tattooed man was pacing around the bridge, twitching with a wreck of nerves and muttering rapidly in almost unintelligible Al Bhed. Shinra also seemed jittery in a way that told one he was intensely concerned and confused as any child his age would be after seeing something traumatic. Buddy was more composed yet no less upset than his shipmates.

"YUNA!" Brother had made to pounce on the girl, mostly appearing to genuinely be in need of friendly consoling, but a little under that, his swirling green eyes held a small hint of a deviousness gleam that Rikku immediately picked up on and caused her pretty face to pinch in distaste. '_Incestuous, perverted moron!_' she thought to herself.

The older Al Bhed's spring was foiled as Rikku's booted foot suddenly stuck out in front of his feet, causing the older of Cid's kids to trip up and fall flat on his face to the floor, just inches short of Yuna.

"…This is not the time for your Chocobo playing around, Brother, Rikku! Take a look outside..." the Navigator practically ordered, ignoring the brother and sister duo as he pointed out the windshield. The group shuffled forward and together as one gasped as one in shocked distress. "I know… it's bad…"

'Bad' hadn't even begun to describe what the group was seeing in that moment. Outside and many feet below the Celsius, the waterfront city of Luca came into view. The city, once a small metropolitan of entertainment and trade between the southern islands and the mainland, had become a disaster zone. The harbor, stadium, and theater had mostly sunken into the water along with what ever house or shop on the sea front, the cobblestone streets were riddled with long cracks and splits, most of the taller buildings had toppled over completely or just broke in rough halves, several of the massive balloons that decorated the Lucan skies were missing, and clouds of dark smoke billowed into the air as fires raged. But what was the most horrific sight of all was the large, fathomlessly deep fissure that had opened up in the ground and split the small city into two. It started from at least three miles out at sea and stretched deep into the inlands, running almost parallel with the Mi'ihen High Road. Flying over the fissure the crew and guests on the Celsius could see the multiple buildings that had fallen into and the water from the sea pouring into the trench like a massive waterfall. While the ship wasn't near enough to the ground for anyone below to notice them, because of the multitude of Pyreflies swarming high around the sky the group could tell even without seeing the actual number of bodies littering the ground that many lives had been lost this day, of that there was no doubt in anybody's mind onboard the Celsius.

"W-what happened…?" Rikku asked, he voice faltering.

"…This must have been the epicenter of the earthquake we felt back in Kilika." Paine answered in a subdued tone.

Wakka turned to Brother and said, "Brudda, land da ship! We gotta help dem, ya?"

The blond Al Bhed nodded and made to move for the controls when a hand with black painted fingernails suddenly shot out and grabbed his arm, stopping him. "No… continue flying to Djose."

"Lu?" Wakka was confused and upset that Lulu of all people would reject the idea of helping and rescuing the wounded people in need down below. He was not the only one either. Yuna, Rikku, and Buddy looked torn between decisions, Paine's face was like a blank slat, Brother was a stressed out mess, and nobody could tell what Shinra was thinking due to his hooded mask. "But, why not?"

Lulu let Brother go and readjusted Vidina in her arms before speaking again, "We do not have the time." Her scarlet eyes held Wakka's unflinchingly with and unrelenting will.

"She's right," Paine spoke before turning away from the window and walking over to the Sphere Oscillo-finder's holographic map, staring at the hovering ball of bright colors. She heaved a bitter sigh and said, "We just don't have time on our side. You know what Ifrit said, the Fayth are just barely slowing down SIN's revival to give us a chance." Paine then turned to look at her companions. "We have no choice but to keep going."

Silence between the group hung heavily in the air for several moments as everyone contemplated the situation. It was then a call on Shinra's CommSphere Network came through, catching everyone's attention. The small boy genius jogged over to his terminal and typed in his access code for the CommSphere. "I'm getting a call from Gagazet." Shinra announced. "I'll patch it through now." A window on Shinra's monitor screen opened and staring at them was a very tense looking Kimahri.

"Yo, Kimahri! Long time no see, ya?" Wakka greeted for everyone, subdued but trying to seem lively for his friend's sake.

Kimahri nodded in agreement, immediately noticing the anxiety in his human friends but not calling them on it. The visible tension in the Ronso's form did not fade. "Kimahri happy to see Wakka and Lulu again with Vidina cub, but this not social call. Kimahri must speak with Yuna now, I have urgent message."

"I here, Kimahri." Yuna said. "What's wrong?"

The Elder Ronso gave a heavy, breathy sigh before saying, "Kimahri call to warn Yuna. Seymour Guado has returned as Fayth of Final Aeon."

"We know," Yuna informed. "The Fayth has already told me."

Kimahri nodded at this. "Summoner Isaaru come to tribe village hurt, told of Seymour returning. Ronso youth know this and are preparing to travel to sacred city to battle Ronso Bane, Kimahri can not stop them like before. Many sudden fiend attacks on Gagazet, mountain dieing. Kimahri feel Spira in pain… Kimahri worried about future."

If Yuna could, she reach over to the older lion-man and hug him, they both needed the comfort. "I'm also going to Zanarkand, Kimahri, the Fayth are allowing me to summon the Aeons again, so I'm going to fight Seymour one more time. I promise this time he'll never come back to hurt us again." she spoke with great strength of resolve.

The Ronso stared at his High Summoner for a moment and nodded. "Kimahri too go to Zanarkand, wait for Yuna. Fight by Yuna's side again."

Yuna nodded before Kimahri disconnected the link and Shinra's screen blanked.

'_I know when I'll look back on this day, I can easily say that the decision I made was the hardest ever made in my life. I felt sick to my stomach. Oh, how I wished things were different._'

"…Full speed to Djose, Brother." Yuna announced softly, her head bowed down so that the fringe of her hair shielded her eyes.

'_Does my decision to not help Luca make me a bad person? To force myself to ignore so many innocent lives that could be saved? I wonder what you would have done, what you would have said… if only you were here? I hope I made the right choice._'

All heads and eyes turned to Yuna in surprise. "… Yuna, are you sure?" Buddy asked. The young retired Sphere Hunter and veteran Summoner gave a hesitant affirming nod.

"T-then we make for Djose…" Brother said and he sat himself back down in the pilot's chair. "Gullwings, du oui'na cdydeuhc." Slowly the other crewmembers complied.

"We'll arrive at Djose at dawn." Buddy informed. "Be ready for an early start."

Yuna pivoted around on her heel and briskly walked out of the bridge without another word, refusing to make even eye contact with anyone. All within the room could tell she was beside herself with her verdict.

"Yuna?" Wakka took a step to follow her, but the hand of Lulu on his shoulder stopped him.

"…She needs time. Let her be." was all the Black Mage told him before leaving for their shared quarters to attend to their child's needs.

Wakka grunted and kicked at the metal ground in frustration before heading back to the cabin where he left his drink on the bar, Paine following not far behind, planning to disregard his earlier notions of not getting drunk. He was going to throw himself into a mind numbing haze for the night, consequences be damned.

oO0Oo

* * *

Many miles away from the Celsius to the north-east, anchored down in semi-shallow seawaters half a mile away from the ancient Omega Ruins, was a fleet of nine ships of varying sizes. These were not the typical ships that sailed the blue Spiran oceans. These vessels were machina ships meant for long exploration missions and aquatic Fiend extermination as well as a sign of re-modernizing of naval military prowess after a thousand years retro-stagnation.

At current, the troupe of ships were on the final legs of their first exploration expedition. It was something the captain of the fleet were eagerly awaiting. '_Captain Elma… ha! It's weird, but it has a nice ring to it._' Elma, former Chocobo Knight lieutenant of the Crusaders and now a high ranking officer of the Youth League thought giddily to herself as she stood on the deck of the main ship of the fleet watching the night stars flicker into view while nursing a warm mug of herbal tea. It was well into the Autumn season and the days were becoming increasingly short and the nights long and chilled as winter neared.

Elma reached up to tighten the collar of her naval uniform coat when a cold breeze blew by. "I've come a long way from being just a simple soldier… To think the Meyvn would trust me with something this big." she said, white puffs of her breath floating out from her lips, before taking a long sip of her steaming tea.

The S.S. Leviathan was a sea vassal that was capable of doing almost anything on Spiran waters. The water craft was the largest and fastest ever made, the first of its kind really, a larger water bourn version of the air ship called Fahrenheit. Designed by the pre-SIN civilizations, built by the Al Bhed, fitted by the Youth League, christened by New Yevon, and manned by all three, it doubled as both a heavily fortified cargo ship and the most powerful of all naval ships, making it a veritable floating fortress. Only two months ago it and its fleet set sail on their maiden voyage out on the open sea. The Leviathan served as a physical sign of unity since peace treaties between the three world powers. Flanking the Leviathan at its portside and starboard were a pair of Sirens, smaller but long ships built to serve as artillery support. At the Leviathan's front and rear flanks were four Mateus', ships that were slightly shorter, much wider, and armed with torpedoes as well as more armored than the Sirens. At the direct head and end of the procession or ships were a pair of Aquarius', radically different in design -they looked like giant machina gun bullets with mechanical fins- and smaller than all other seven ships, they were actually capable of both floating and sinking under the waves, it was meant more for covert recon and speed as well as underwater battle.

Elma's ears perked as she heard slightly clumsy, heavy footfalls of boots on metal as an ensign, young and barely experienced by the looks of it, approached her from behind, stopping a body's length from her at attention and saluting her respectfully stiffly. "Captain!" Elma's body went ridged in a show of authority as she returned the salute.

"At ease ensign. Now what do you need?"

The young sailor took a moment to clear his throat and said, "I came to report the happenings on the researchers."

The female swordsman blinked and almost sighed in relief, but not quite yet. She had ordered two guard teams and a group of researchers to the island to study the ruin, as per orders, three days ago, they had reported in at 01900 as of yesterday and missed their morning check-in. She had begun to get very worried. "What's the status with the teams on the island?"

"Ma'am, it's not going too good. Exploration on the surface went well enough, but actual progress moving into the underground tunnels to the ruins themselves is going slow dew to heavy fiend interference. Some serious injuries, but no casualties yet. They're also running low on supplies and the armor equipment is wearing down and breaking. There aren't many of them, but the beasts are more powerful than we estimated here than anywhere else we've been to… "

Elma looked at the young ensign when she heard him trail off. "…And?" she prompted.

"Permission to speak freely, ma'am?" he asked and at her curious nod, continued, "It's a bit strange, the report I mean. It said the fiends have been attacking nonstop, unprovoked, not surprising since its in their nature, but they were all in a frenzy, killing their own kind even. All the flying fiends Intel reported living here, have all abandoned the island. It's crazy, but it almost sounds like the fiends are frightened."

Elma nodded at hearing this. "I heard the High Summoner Lady Yuna and her former Guardians had discovered this place a while back and cleared out most of the fiends as well as Omega itself, so I'm not too concerned about the decreased fiend population. It makes our job easier. But the part about fiends abandoning their perceived territory, however, is a new one to me… hmm, didn't know fiends could get scared." she muttered into her cup. "Alright, your orders are to hail Mateus One and tell its commanding officer to deploy a mixed back up team; I want a gun, two swords, a Black, and two Whites who can perform either Esuna, Curaga, or Life spells. The first team only had one White Mage covering their ass. The researchers and their guard teams will definitely need the extra help. Make sure to equip them with status ailment proof armor that's anti-elemental or has auto abilities like SOS Shell and SOS Protect. Pack enough rations and emergency First-Aid kits, Potions, Elixirs, Phoenix Downs and the like, for all teams."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"I want team three on that island in the next thirty minutes. Dismissed!" The ensign saluted again before marching off briskly. Elma watched the aspiring sailor soldier leave before finishing the last sips of her drink. Her dark eyes wondered over to the long chain of islands. The darkness of the night made the islands seem more foreboding and perilous than in the daylight hours. The longer the woman League member stared at the mountainous islands the more aware of a chill she felt that had nothing to do with the cold race up her spine. "Why do I suddenly have this ominous feeling something bad is going to happen?" Elma asked the thin air. She shook her head at the ridiculous, yet nagging thought. "It's probably just the ruins. I think I'll head down to the mess hall, maybe some dinner will help me settle down." With that Alma turned and headed below deck, not realizing that her ill-omened prediction was well founded.

oO0Oo

* * *

Gippal stared at the computer screen in front of him through his one blurry eye as many algorithms about the newly planed machines he and the rest of his faction were working on streamed across the monitor. After the success of the Leviathan machina ship and its fleet, the Al-Bhed and the other races of the world were slowly trying to rebuild Spira back to its former glory before the Machina Wars and Yevon's summoning of SIN. Gippal knew it would take years beyond his time to get Spira out of the rut Yu Yevon had put it in, but the young Al-Bhed leader was in it for the long haul.

The one-eyed blond yawned widely. It was getting to be late and his coffee supply was beginning to run low, he had already gone through a pack of vitamins, and he was two bars short of his hidden stash of Kilikan Sea Salt Taffy. Gippal decided to call it for the night as he saved his work and shut down his computer. He pushed back away from his desk, rubbing the sting of lack of sleep from his eye and stood. The blond stretched, feeling stiff joints pop in relief, and walked out the spare room next to the Cloister of Trials that served as both his bedroom and lab and into the antechamber of the Djose Temple. By the way the temple had grown so quiet compared to the usual noise of the day, Gippal knew he was the only one still up; it was nearly mid-night after all.

He kept walking until he was outside in the cool autumn air. The young Al-Bhed leader was less than half a step out the door when he noticed something tacked to it. It was a note on parchment and pinned to the ornate door by a small dagger. His green eye narrowed in annoyance, already having an idea who did that. Gippal moodily snatched the note and dagger from the door, it read in old Yevon script:

_**Leave the Hallowed Temple now, heathens, or we shall strike you down! Your cursed machina will cast Spira back into the time of SIN! Yevon let fly your deceitful, ill-begotten kind away into the lowest depths of Hell!**_

_**Anonymous**_

Gippal sighed heavily through his nose, trying to stay unruffled, as one hand crushed the note and the other pocketed the dagger. '_Damned fools, they hound me everywhere! Those Old Yevon traditionalist are a bunch of idiots!_' the blond's thoughts raged as he tossed the crumpled note over his shoulder, disinterested. '_Machina didn't create SIN, that batty old coot, Yu Yevon, created SIN.' _Gippal thrust his hands roughly into the pockets of his overalls as he sat himself down on a nearby crate. "Stupid bastards are must want to ruin everything and start a war. I'm gonna have to talk to Baralai about this soon if this keeps up."

These anonymous warnings and death threats had been appearing everywhere he went for several weeks now and it was really starting to become irksome. Of course he was fairly sure who was sending these letters. Some of his more… secret, underground sources had been whispering lately about some dangerous rumors. Something about some kind of group of Yevonite extremists forming, looking to discredit the Praetor, remove the Meyvn, and silence him while trying to re-establish the previous ways of Yevon and their worldly order. Gippal scoffed at the notion.

"Geez, this leader gig can be a real pain in the ass sometimes." Gippal muttered to himself as he tiredly rubbed the back of his neck. He was exhausted from a full day's work but at the same time all the coffee and sugar he ate and drank earlier was still in his system and kept him awake. He then steered his mind away from all his recent dark thoughts as his lone eye wandered up toward the infinite and mysterious heavenly bodies of stars. He always liked looking at them, they were so lively, yet calming, and each one glowed with their own pure innocent light in the dark, reminding him greatly of his little lover. Gippal had to laugh lightly at the comparison as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees and chin resting in his palms.

The one eyed blond's easy contentment suddenly vanished when he heard movement to his left. Body tensing ever so subtly, Gippal turned enough to see a small and odd assembly of sixty or so different fiends that inhabit Mushroom Rock Road making their way towards the Temple at a fairly impressive pace.

"…Well, ain't this some kind of shit?" Gippal muttered dangerously as he stood and reached into his pocket, pulling out a simple looking device with several buttons and a small and a small screen. It was a remote control he made a while back to activate the alarm mechanism around the Temple in case of attack or intruders. The fiends hadn't reached the motion sensors yet, but it didn't matter now.

…And to think, Rikku was the one who made him install one after they became official together. "Thank you, Princess." he mumbled before pressing the little red button.

Djose Temple woke late that night to the sound of the alarms and rushed to meet the incoming threat.


	7. End of the Saved World pt2

**Title**: Danse Macabre Undone

**Author**: Gatecrasher12

**Word Count**: 5342

**Genre**: Action/Romance/Drama/General

**Game**: Final Fantasy 10-2

**Published Date**: 8-06-10

**Author's Note**: Sorry for taking so long! Originally I was going to have the fight scene as part of chapter six but I decided to stat it off in seven. Also, let it be known that from here on, will get progressively darker and certain scenes will be a bit graphic in description. I want this story to be as life-like as possible while keeping it relatively T-rated clean.

oO0Oo

Chapter Seven: End of the Saved World

oO0Oo

Lightning flashed through the darkened sky, not a sliver of dawn's light able to pierce the heavy black clouds hanging in the sky as a violently gale whipped through the air. Djose Temple was right a mess, not to say that it was neat after Gippal and his Machine Faction took it over, or totally dust-free and spotless before either, but it was by far more a chaotic disarray than usual. In truth, the whole area a quarter mile around the sacred house of Ixion turned machine research and development warehouse looked like a war zone.

Littered across the ground were bits and pieces of ancient machina, as well as the bloodied bodies and parts, crushed, charred, or otherwise, of their Al-Bhed mechanics and a multitude of severed fiend limbs that had yet to dissipate into Pyreflies. The air was permeated with the scent of burned wires, metal, cooked flesh, and death as black smoke from long burnt out fires billowed into the air from exploded machina. The small building that served as the Machine faction's receptions building and item shop was half collapsed with bodies of dead Al Bhed sprawling half out of it. Blood, oil, and gore lay painted on the rocky ground and walls like morbid drip art. At the moment, however, the temple grounds were almost deathly quiet save for the sound of the roaring wind as Pyreflies floated about lazily as if immune to the blustery weather. This was the scene the Gullwings witnessed when the Celsius arrived during the wee hours of the morning.

Yuna stared at the bloody sight in open shock, he hands fastened tightly over her mouth as if to prevent herself from retching, alongside Rikku. Paine's face was contorted into a scowling grimace as the sight brought back many terrible memories of her time in the Crimson Squad, specifically during its massacre. The silver haired woman hardened herself, face becoming stone cold, and walked slowly over to a fallen man's body, her trusted sword drawn cautiously and glimmering with anticipation for battle. Paine kneeled down next to the body and began to examine it, deftly ignoring the pungent scent of semi-fresh blood. Her leather gloved fingers tentatively brushed the pooled, cooled blood lightly, watching it smear her fingers in a half congealed mess. "…This body has been laying here for a while, four, maybe five hours. The blood is almost dry and this guy's body is cold and stiff. …Fiends did this, obviously, from the claw and teeth marks. I'd say these people have been like this since just after midnight." she informed in a clinically stoic voice.

"…G-Gippal…" Rikku's voice wavered as she stepped tentatively forward before takting off like as shot.

"Rikku wait!" Yuna called.

"GIPPAL!" she yelled as she ran through the temple grounds to the Djose temple itself, Yuna and Paine hot on her heels, dodging corpses and totaled machinery. Lulu and a hung-over Wakka separated from the three earlier to check the perimeter for any signs of life. "GIPPAL, YOU IDIOT, WHERE ARE YOU?" When no reply but the sound of the whistling cold wind called back, tears stung her eyes.

Paine was the one to catch up with the small blond first when the trio were just half way across the courtyard, half way between the large double doors of the temple and the bridge. "Rikku, stop!"

Rikku opened her mouth to yell for Gippal again when black leather clad hands encircled her, one wrapping around her shoulders and the other clamping over her mouth. Rikku gave a muffled squeak in protest as she kicked her legs forward and bucked persistently, trying vainly to twist and muscle her way out of Paine's much stronger vice-like hold.

"Stop yelling," The older woman hissed into Rikku's ear. "If there are any survivors, all your shouting will just attract the fiends that did this back to them. I'd like to remain unnoticed if there are any still hanging around."

Rikku looked at Paine's eyes. Those heated overbearing scarlet orbs glaring down at her said in no uncertain terms that she was just a yell away from knowing just why the older woman was called 'Paine'. Rikku calmed down and nodded submissively, Pain let her go with an affirming nod.

"Um… I think it's a bit late for that…" Yuna announced as she stared back at the way they came, drawing and cocking her Tiny Bee pistols.

Paine and Rikku turned to see a gathering of two slithering serpentine Gucumatz Basilisks, a small garden's worth of overgrown carnivorous Bully Caps and Funguar, a pack of four Coyotes, a Red Elemental, and a small swarm of killer Wasps. The older woman shot the blond a sharp glare. "That's minus fifteen respect points." Paine said through clenched teeth. Rikku winced and inched away like a guilty child being scolded, drawing her Thief's Knives, foregoing the usual flare of twirls and battle pose that she usually performed.

"Let's go!" Yuna shouted as the fiends began to advance on the trio.

Shots exploded from her pistols in rapid fire, Yuna becoming suddenly very Trigger Happy with anger towards the beasts, the bullets flying through the air and finding their marks in the many Wasps. The several of the large flying insets dropped very quickly while others of the swarm circled overhead in an attempt to confuse and disorientate the young gunner. Yuna tracked each of them easily with a sniper's eye. She rolled out of the way when a long stinger stabbed at her from her right flank and again from the snapping jaws of a charging Coyote coming at her from the front. Yuna shot the offending flying Fiend in the back as it missed and tried to circle around for a second try after she put a bullet between the Coyote's eyes when it jumped at her in retaliation.

"Hyaaaaah!" Rikku dashed forward with a sudden burst of speed achievable only by somebody that was as spontaneous and hyper-active as the young Al-Bhed. The Bully Cap she had aimed for spat out a dark cloud of Ebon Powder at her in an effort to stop and blind her, but Rikku saw the attack coming the moment the fungus stated to quiver its umbrellas and jumped high into the air and came down on it, slashing the plant down the middle and killing it. She danced out of the way as a nearby Funguar tried to sneak a bite out of her side, retreating out of the way at the feel of the tell-tale sign of casting fire magic from the lone Red Elemental, an atmospheric charge and a sudden heat, built in the air and exploded where she once stood. Rikku quickly fished out her Garment Grid and activated her Black Mage Dressphere. She crossed her blades and tossed them into the ground and jumped. There was a bright flash of mana and a sprinkle of colored lights, and a moment later Rikku now stood surrounded by magic fire dressed in a short, brightly multi-colored witch's dress, stockings, pointed shoes, and a wide brimmed witch's hat with one of Yuna's old rods, El Dorado, in hand.

Rikku smirked something uncharacteristically shadowy and calmly violent as her personality twisted into something darker and cold while knowledge on the Black Arts came to her. The blond's mana then charged and converted into fire. "Roasted mushrooms anyone? Fira!" she then waved her rod and unleashed a Fira spell that ripped through and killed many of the fungus type fiends, they gave pained death squeals as they fell. The blond then in a show of sadistic aloofness, centered her sights on the Red Elemental. "Don't be stingy, share the mana." Rikku then performed MP Absorb on the elemental, draining it of a third of its magic to replenish her own. The disjointed crystal parts of the fiend jingled and twirled prettily in agitation before a large fireball launched at Rikku. The blond squeaked in panic and ducked, the faming ball shot safely over her head, nailing an unsuspecting Coyote that was about to pounce on Rikku from behind in the face.

"You need to cool off." A spike of ice suddenly grew around and encased the elemental, killing it in one shot. Rikku looked up after the Blizzara spell froze the fiend in a small pillar of ice. Lulu looked down at her with a raised eyebrow as her Blizzara spelled shattered, taking the fiend with it. "Are you okay?"

Rikku nodded and stood up, dusting her skirt as she went. "Yeah, no stinking fiend is gonna take me down."

"Then let us continue the fight." Lulu raised he hands, her Onion Knight voodoo doll mimicking her movement, fire gathering. "Burn" she ordered darkly to a Bully Cap and brought her hands down, unleashing her spell.

Paine dodged to the side as the Gucumatz swung its scythe-like arms down, destroying the stone ground where she stood seconds before, and struck back by cleaving the scaly appendage off the monstrous serpent. The basilisk gave a hissing shriek of pain, the severed stump gushed cooled dark viridian colored blood, and the second Gucumatz responded with an angry hiss at its mate's pain and snapped forward, jaws open, foot long fangs dripping clear venom, and ready to eat Paine whole in one swallow. Paine focused her mana into her dark blade, frost growing fast and overtook the sword. The silver haired woman dodged as the Basilisk and jumped over the creature's head as it bit down on empty air. The warrior then came down on the serpent's neck, her Ice Branded sword connected with the fiend. Hard scales instantly froze, becoming brittle, and broke while the sharp edge of Paine's sword cut through hide, flesh, and bone. As the head of the second Gucumatz fell on the ground with a load rumble, along with its body, the first was finally oriented enough to push its pain aside. With hatred flashing in its eyes, the Fiend raised its tail a shook it. The rattler sounded with a sonic pitch of Heaven's Contract, causing all around the Basilisk to momentarily stop fighting, crying out in pain as the sound assaulted their senses.

The Gucumatz looked at a kneeling Paine in hunger as she clutched her ears, thin rivers of blood trickled from the damaged drums. It wasted no time as it reared back and snapped forward, intent on devouring her body slowly and painfully to avenge its fallen mate.

Suddenly, a red, black, and yellow bladed Blitzball covered in ice flew in from the fiends right flank and hit its head with a sickening crack of scale, bone, and ice and a wet sound of blades slashing soft flesh. The Gucumatz gave a pained screeching hiss as its head snapped to the side, the path of its strike diverted, and fell several feet away from Paine. The silver haired woman took the opening to back away on shaky legs

"BOYAAH!" Wakka shouted, carefully and expertly catching World Champion as it bounced back to his waiting hand. "You like my Ice Element Reel, ya?" he asked the Basilisk as it weakly rose up again. "Here! Have some more!"

Mana swirled around the former Blitzer, pushing it to the limit again, as he preformed another Slots Overdrive, this time calling up his Attack Reel. His mana flashed repetitively in several different colors, fluctuating chaotically, while his mind's eye pictured a mana reel rolling through numbers and stars. His mana suddenly become calm and flashed blue as the reel settled on two ones and a two. While the numbers he won were low, the damage to the weakened fiend would boarder on overkill. All the same, Wakka lined his sights up on the beast before spinning, quickly gaining momentum, and loosing his ball. World Champion flew at the Gucumatz and repeatedly beat fatal on its hide, breaking hard scales, slicing soft tissue, and pulverizing bone four times before the giant serpent fell dead.

"Stay down!" Wakka commanded the dissipating corpse, panting hard. It was hard and intensely straining using two Overdrives consecutively that way without a break in between, that was why it wasn't done very often without a special mana replenishing item equipped. He then walked over to Paine, noticing how she was using her sword to lean on and steady her kneeled form.

Yuna cleared out the remaining fiends with little difficulty, the battle exhausting three of the ten ammo clips she always carried. "Is everyone okay?"

"Ya, jus' gimme a Turbo Either, an' ah be fine." Wakka said as he walked with Paine, holding her up by her elbow. "But Paine here looks a bit roughed up. She was close to tha' Basilisk so ah think her ears're shot, ya?"

Nodding, Yuna fished a small corked blue bottle out from her hip pack and passed the Turbo Ether to Wakka, which he swallowed with a grimace (it had a nasty herbal yet metallic taste), before turning her attention to Paine. Cupping the older woman's ears, the High Summoner closed her eyes in concentration and muttered, "…Cura."

Paine, since the Basilisk used its Heaven's Contract, could barely see strait, let alone walk strait. She had caught the full brunt of that fiend's attack and now her eardrums were damaged, she was seeing everything in doubles and triples which was making her nauseous, and had little in the way of coordination. It was then she felt Yuna's hands covering her ears and a cool-warm, breezy feeling of white magic enveloping her head. Her stomach settled instantly and the damage had been reversed, though her ears were ringing. Paine shook her head as it cleared and her eyes refocused.

"Are you okay, Paine?" Yuna asked in concern.

The silver haired woman gave an unlady-like grunt. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Let's just go see Ixion already." she said as she pushed pass the others towards the temple. The remaining four walked after her.

"What about Gippal and the Machine Faction?"

Paine kept a cool expression. "If the survivors aren't in the temple, then they are either at the Youth League HQ or escaped to the Moonflow." she offered as she came to the temple doors. "Since we didn't see anyone on the road on the way here, their either still here or at the Moonflow." with that said, Paine pulled one of the large doors open.

The inside of the temple seemed completely abandoned and just as wrecked as the outside. Several bodies lay dead on the floor surrounded by mangled machina parts as Pyreflies drifted around. The far left wall of the temple looked blasted in, likely the fiends' work when the doors proved too well protected. The statues of the previous High Summoners were broken and toppled over, Yuna's anger and sadness flared on a more personal level when she noticed her father's statue lay in quite a few pieces on top of some poor man's crushed corpse; it had fallen on him when it had been knock over. Even the large overhead statues of Yunalesca and Lord Zaon were not undamaged as they had been carved into and peppered with holes and scorch marks from many stay bullets and magic spells.

"Everyone, be careful," Lulu warned, "There may still be fiends hidden in the temple."

The other members of the group nodded in agreement, though Rikku seemed to grow more and more distressed by the moment. "After I receive Ixion, I will Send these people." Yuna informed.

The Gullwings picked their way carefully through the rubble, attempting to not step on any of the felled bodies of the brave Faction members as they made their way to the Cloister of Trials. The group cautiously went in on silent feet, vigilant of fiends that may have managed to get it. The inside of the Cloister was not nearly as bad as the antechamber. With the exception of a few bullet holes here and there and a scorch mark or two from magic fire, it was absent of dead bodies and full of Pyreflies. Apparently the majority of the fighting happened outside or in the antechamber and what fiends had managed to get into the Trials were dead if the fiend blood decorating the walls and floor meant anything. Since the departure of Ixion and his lighting magic, machine generators had been built to power the Thunder Temple. Luckily they were still running, despite the lack of people to using it, if only barely. The lights kept flickering in a way that made the temple seem more foreboding and eerie than welcoming. That also meant the elevator was still operational… hopefully.

The group warily progressed through the puzzle hall, checking every turn with ready weapons until they reached the small elevator platform. Since the platform was only big enough to raise two, maybe three people, at a time so that how they ascended; Yuna, Rikku, and Paine went first with Wakka and Lulu bringing up the rear. They encountered a bit of trouble on the second floor's power room as a couple of fiends, Thunder Flans, were oozing all over the generators, greedily sucking them dry of power. Dispatching them didn't take very long; Yuna shot them from behind to distract them from their meal while Rikku, who was still wearing her Black Mage Dressphere, and Lulu started casting water spells at the goopy yellow monstrosities, mindful to not hit the generators lest the cause an explosion they would not escape in the cramped room. When the fiends slumped dead the five continued the trek up the stairs to the Chamber of The Fayth.

Yuna had just barely put a foot through the room's threshold when she threw herself back into the others behind her to dodge a short hail of bullets flying at the doorway.

"Come on, you bastard fiends! You want some of me," yelled a familiar angry voice along with the sound of a cocking gun. "come get some! I'll fucking kill ya all!" he shot at the door again.

"GIPPAL! You dumb jackass stop shooting!" Rikku yelled back.

The man inside started violently into stopping, his personally customized gun lowering, blinking at Rikku's frantic voice. "Rikku…?"

The Gullwings slowly entered the room, half afraid they'd be shot at again. Rikku practically charged at the older man when she saw him and hugged him. He looked like death warmed over; his cloths were torn, burned, and bloodied, his hair in disarray, bloodstains, sweat, and dirt painted his face, and his eye patch was missing, revealing an old jagged battle scar that rendered his left eye useless. He looked like a walking bruise, and felt that way too, with all the patches of visible black and blue skin and red cuts and burns. Their was a sad number of six others in the room behind him, two of which lay too still and pale to be alive, one looked to already have a foot in the grave, the other three were barely conscious, and not a single one looked ready to fight even though they desperately clutched at whatever weapon the had with them.

"Y-you idiot!" she weeped into his chest, hugging his tightly and uncaring of the grime rubbing off on her. "I couldn't fi-find you! I-I t-thought you were-were dead!"

"…Rikku," Gippal said. "Can't breathe… squeezing, rib… broken…" The small girl blinked through tears and looked up. His paled face was twisted in agony and slowly turning blue. The second youngest Gullwing yelped and let go, Gippal gasped and pitched forward in relief as his free arm cradled his injured ribs with a pained groan.

"E'S CUNNO!" Rikku shouted hysterically before fishing out her Garment Grid. "I'll heal you! Just give me a sec to change into a White Mage!" A small white sphere on her Grid flashed as Rikku's body was overtaken by light and a flurry of white feathers. She reappeared in a mostly white hooded robe and an orange staff called Healing Rod. A sudden rush of knowledge on all of Spira's multi-racial anatomies, white magic spells, non-magical healing techniques, anti-poisons/infections, and different healing herbs flooded into her mind. Rikku's usually hyper personality and current distress mellowed into something more calm and maternal. She then sat him down next to the other survivors with all the combined righteousness of a worried mother and authoritative, gentle healer as she began assessing their injures and looking for infections.

"I'm going in now." Yuna informed as the stone door to Ixion lair opened, the shining Fayth's light that had been absent for the last few years illuminated the room. She stepped through and the door closed behind her. Less than a minute later a deep, powerful voice, the voice of Ixion, reverberated throughout the room, singing the Hymn of the Fayth.

The room's occupants, save for the Gullwings, started at the sudden familiar sound before relaxing, the tranquil magic in the Fayth's Hymn lulling them into comfort like a parent's lullaby.

"What's going on?" Gippal asked.

"Dat's what we'd like to know, ya?" Wakka countered. "What happened to da temple? Where'd all da fiends come from?"

Gippal looked at the Besaidian and answered, "I don't know. I was minding my own business, taking a walk outside because I was getting too stiff and tired to keep working, when all the sudden I see all these damned monsters showing up and attacking." the Faction leader sighed in relief as Rikku started casting Esuna and different Curing spells. "They just kept coming. We managed to defend the temple… but we suffered heavy casualties." he pointedly looked over at the two dead bodies on the opposite side of the room somberly. "Now, tell me what the fuck is going on! Why are we listening to Ixion's Hymn?" he demanded, his one eye narrowing. "Have the Aeons returned or something?"

It was Paine who stepped forward and answered bluntly, "Spira's self-destructing."

Gippal looked at Paine with a crossed frown. "…I know you've got this fun impediment thing, Paine, but that's the worst joke ever. Now tell me the truth."

"That is the truth, Gip," Rikku spoke softly, her back to him and her hand glowing as she healed the wounded man next to him. "Seymour Guado is back and he's trying to summon SIN back into the world."

"Impossible! That Guado bastard is dead and Sent, he-"

"Even the Sent can return from the Farplane, if they posses the will and power." Lulu cut the younger man off. "Lord Jyscal Guado proved it was possible back during Yuna's original Pilgrimage."

Wakka nodded grimly and crossed his arms. "Da Fayth are try'en to hold 'em off, but they won't last long. They're giving Yuna their Aeons to fight him off… But Seymour's using da Core of Spira to give him power, he became da Final Fayth, and found a way to summon SIN."

"Luca is already half under the sea, Mt. Gagazet is sinking in on itself, and we saw on our way here a giant tornado ripping up the countryside between the Highroad and Mushroom Rock." Paine listed. " We've been getting calls from all over. Their's been a slew of earthquakes, mile wide fissures and cave-ins, and dangerous storms popping up in all sorts of odd places."

"We think this is why all the fiends and animals are acting up so badly." Lulu added. "They feel Spira dying and are running scared, looking for any safe haven they can find."

Gippal looked at each Gullwing face, finding no uncertainty among them. He leaned against the wall behind him heavily with a wide green eye, the Hymn's subtle pacifying magic could do nothing to sooth his troubled and discontent mind now. "…I don't understand why?" he asked as he stared up through one of the windows. Rain was beginning to fall in intense sheets outside. Gippal was never one for superstitions, but he couldn't help the cold shiver that raced up his spine. Death during a heavy nighttime rain were always seen as a bad omen for miserable and dark days ahead among the Al-Bhed people. He gripped his hair roughly in growing frustrated anger. "Why now when everything is going so good? Why can't he just stay in his grave and let us be?" Gippal questioned loudly.

Wakka snorted bitterly himself. "Why? Dis is Seymour Guado we talk'en 'bout. He's crazy as hell and wants to 'save' everyone by killing dem because he had just as much of a messed up childhood as everyone else."

Save for the Hymn, quiet reign over the room now as everyone settled into their own thoughts, though Rikku was almost finished healing the now unconscious survivors.

A few moments later the door to the Fayth's inner chamber scraped opened as Ixion's song faded. Yuna stepped out into the room, a thin sheen of sweat glistening on her skin. "Ixion is now with me." she said calmly.

"Den we almost done here, ya?" Wakka said before walking over to the felled bodies where he kneeled and gently maneuvered one onto his shoulder. 'Wake da others, we're getting these people out of here."

"If we can get to the Moonflow, there's a new harbor with boats my Faction built that ferries people and supplies between there to Bikanel Island."

Yuna nodded as she started waking what was left of Djose's the Machine Faction members. "I will Send the dead and we'll take the living to the Moonflow. Gippal, is the Save Sphere here operational? We have one on the Celsius and can use to teleport everyone onboard."

"Tch, sorry Superstar." the blond shook his head as he stood with Rikku's help. Healed as he was, magic didn't relieve a sore body. "It got blasted to scrap by a fiend's attack when we fought them outside, but," he dug into on of his pockets and pulled out a small CommSphere, "I did manage to save this. I was gonna use it to call for help before you guys showed up first."

Paine looked up from where she was waking and helping one of the survivors on his feet. "Then hail the Celsius already. More fiends might show up soon"

oO0Oo

Brother paced the Bridge of the Celsius while gnawing at his nails, turmoil roiling around inside as he worried about his beautiful cousin Yuna and the Gullwings, they had been gone too long in his opinion. Buddy was barely hanging onto a fine thread of his usually ironclad patience while sipping at a mug of Kilikan caramel coffee brought to him earlier by Barkeep. Shinra was sitting at his station monitoring the radio waves, trying to stay updated as one worldly disaster piled onto another. Darling was in the Cabin with her mate keeping little Vidina distracted while his parents were away on the mission. The Celsius itself sat on the only place that was flat, open, and wide enough to land on, an overhanging plateau about five minutes away by hover flight (a good three and a half miles away by foot) from the temple.

Everyone on the ship flinched as a roar of thunder shook the land the red airship was landed on as rain pelted down heavily. There was hardly any visibility beyond a few feet outside the window and that worried Brother a bit. It almost seemed worse than the Thunder Planes out there, and that was saying something. As a pilot, Brother knew in no uncertain terms that such heinous weather was dangerous to fly in. The smart thing to do would be to hunker down and wait the storm out until it disperse itself, or at least until the lighting and thunder passed. But the mission, however, was of such great importance that he didn't have much of a choice. He would have to risk flying blind around the treacherous crags of Mushroom Rock and then up through dark clouds of thunder and lightning into calmer skies. The only consolation was that the Celsius, despite being a ship of leisure and the lack of weapons, was built tough with thick armor and could take a beating so if struck by lightning there would barely be a scorch mark… the front and rear thrusters, however, were a little too naked for his liking. Brother prayed to the Fayth and whatever deity listening to give the strength he'd need to navigate the airship through it all safely.

Brother jumped and Buddy looked up in alert when a sudden beeping echoed through the Bridge, letting them know someone was trying to contact them.

"It's from the temple." Shinra said, immediately answer the call as Buddy and Brother were suddenly crowding both sides of his personal space.

KerShhhh!

"_Shhhs-is Gippal, Leader of t-ssshhhh-chine Faction, come shhh Celsius! Do shhhh copy? Over!_"

ShhKer!

"This is Buddy of the Celsius. We read you Gippal." the dark skinned Al-Bhed leaned closer to the comm.

"_Thank good-shhh, I can ba-shhh -ear you! Shhh-The stor-shhh really interfering with th-shhhh-nal._"

"Hold on, I'm gonna adjust the frequency to block out the static." Shinra said as he typed in several codes, lessening the interference caused by the storm. "Okay, can you hear us now?"

"_Yeah, perfectly! Listen up, fiends attacked and we got hit hard… only five of us made it out. The Gullwings are with us, Yuna's received Ixion, and we need an airlift out of here now before more fiends come._"

"Roger that!" Buddy confirmed before going back to his station.

"Gippal, fa yna uh uih fyo!" Brother notified. "Pa nayto!" The tattooed man ran over the pilot's seat and prepared for lift off.

"_Fe'mm pa fyedehk. Just hurry up!"_

_KerShhhhh!_

_The line then went dead as Gippal hung up. Brother revved the engines out of their idle standby with clammy hand. "Gullwings, prepare for lift off!" he shouted, then muttered in a lower voice, "Please let me get us out of here safely." the Celsius lifted off the plateau easily with a short burst of fire from its thrusters and slowly made its way to the temple. It took longer than usual to reach Djose, if only because he stayed close to the ground to avoid lightning strikes, moved slowly, and had to dodge several cliffs. Brother and the rest of the crew could see the Gullwings and the few survivors quickly coming out of the old shrine to Ixion as he set the red motorcycle-like airship hovered several dozen feet over the temple's courtyard and lower the lift. He could also see three lines of raised dirt and stone, hasty makeshift graves, all doubtlessly Al-Bhed bodies, both men and women and at least two child sized, purposely lied out in the courtyard and no Pyreflies. _

_The bridge was utterly silent fow several long as Al-Bhedian priers were offered for the peace to the departed souls of what would soon be called the Djose Massacre. The three looked up when the intercom pinged on, "We're all onboard, Brother. Please take us to the Moonflow Harbor. We're dropping some passengers off there if possible."_

"_At once, Yuna. Be there in hour!" Brother nodded to both Yuna's voice and himself with a bit more confidence while adjusting himself in his seat. "GULLWINGS, HOLD ON TO SOMETHING!" The Celsius rose higher and tilted its bow skyward, the ship suddenly took off with a burst of blue flames, its pilot hoping to break through the clouds without taking a hit._


End file.
